Report 06/2011: Track worker struck at Cheshunt Junction
Track worker struck by a train, Cheshunt Junction, 30 March 2010.
At 11:44 hrs on 30 March 2010 train 2B13, a passenger service running from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street, travelling at about 30 mph (48 km/h), struck a member of railway staff at Cheshunt Junction in Hertfordshire. The person who was struck was one of a team of eight people carrying out maintenance work on the track, and he was seriously injured. There was no damage to the train or infrastructure.
The investigation has identified that the track worker who was struck did not move to a position of safety and remained in the path of the train as it passed through the junction. The track worker had not expected the train to follow the route which took it onto the line on which he was working.
No satisfactory safe system of work had been established, and staff did not always move to a position of safety when the lookout warned that trains were approaching.
RAIB has made two recommendations to Network Rail relating to reducing the risk of working at junctions, and the behaviour of staff working at locations with extended sighting of approaching trains.
Response to recommendations:
- RAIB will periodically update the status of recommendations as reported to us by the relevant safety authority or public body
- RAIB may add comment, particularly if we have concerns regarding these responses.