March 2016
Fatalities
There were no passenger or workforce fatalities during March 2016. There were 2 accidental public
fatalities in stations during the month; the circumstances are currently being investigated.
On 15 March, a person was struck by a train at Chadwell Heath (South Eastern).
On 30 March, the body of a person was discovered lineside at Southall (Western) with injuries consistent
with being struck by a train.
There were 13 suspected suicides during March 2016. The average monthly figure over the past 12 months
has been 21.0. Suicide figures are subject to change as more information (such as coroners' verdicts) is
made available.
Reportable train accidents: collisions, derailments and trains striking road vehicles
On 4 March, a passenger train which was parked at Glasgow Queen Street (Scotland) rolled back and
collided at slow speed with another train during permissive working. There were no reported injuries.
On 11 March, a passenger train struck a vehicle at Beavers Hill Open Crossing (Western). There was one
minor injury to the driver of the road vehicle.
Precursors
During March 2016, there were 16 signals passed at danger (SPADs). This is 3 fewer than the number in
March 2015. The average monthly figure over the past 12 months has been 23.1.
Of the 16 SPADs in March 2016, 1 was risk-ranked potentially significant (16-19), and none were riskranked as potentially severe (20+).
In addition to the 16 SPADs, there were 121 other incidents where signals were passed at red in March
2016; there were 107 such incidents the previous March. Of these 121 events, 99 were due to signalling
system reversion or replacement (system or human), and 22 were due to replacement of the signal in an
operational incident. There were no train runaway incidents.
In March 2016 there were 5 broken rails reported. In February 2016 there were 22 broken rails reported.
Latest safety performance reports are available to download from
http://www.rssb.co.uk/risk-analysis-and-safety-reporting/safety-intelligence/safety-performance-reports
Please email us with feedback; click here | we would appreciate your comments on all our outputs.
Produced by RSSB
Phone 020 3142 5461
Author: William Sharp
Email address: William.Sharp@RSSB.CO.UK
Accidental fatalities: workforce
Accidental fatalities: passenger
Accidental fatalities: level crossings
Accidental fatalities: public *
Suicides/ suspected suicides
Fatalities
Major injuries
300
289
276
250
243
Passenger
Workforce
312
Public
Passenger major injuries/billion journeys
350
252
245
250
258
250
233
232
298
286
274
200
208
150
132
123
128
120
114
132
129
118
100
43
13
5
3
176
26
56
43
35
239
154
348
24
34
26
3 3 11
38
50
46
42
40
36
46
37
64
0
2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016
* Public accidental fatalities include trespass and non-trespass, but exclude
fatalities at level crossings (which are shown separately).
60
Derailments & collisions
Collisions: non-passenger
Collisions: passenger in running
Derailments: non-passenger
Derailments: passenger
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016
RIDDOR-reportable major injuries to each person type reported in SMIS. The
majority of passenger injuries occur in stations
Collisions: passenger low-speed
Derailment at crossing: non-passenger
Derailment at crossing: passenger
Potentially higher-risk train accidents
49
50
PHRTA/300 million train miles
42
40
6
3
12
3
3
1
4
1
9
7
16
8
11
7
25
18
20
2
13
3
1
5
8
25
8
7
13
32
30
1
4
2
1
2
35
33
1
6
3
2
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016
10
0
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
Statutorily reportable collisions (excluding roll back and open door
(RIDDOR) reportable cases only. Includes derailments at level crossings after collisions), derailments, buffer stop collisions and trains striking road
striking road vehicles. Does not include buffer stop and ‘open door’
vehicles. PHRTAs are normalised per million train miles.
collisions. Passenger low-speed collisions predominately occur at stations.
Total
SPADs
400
16-19 risk ranked SPADs
100%
20+ risk ranked SPADs
90%
Train strikes at level crossing
29
Barrier
Gate
Road vehicle
Percentage of Sep 2006 benchmark SPAD risk
80%
350
300
296
292
298
287
276
272
70%
277
249
250
60%
20
21
15
50%
200
13
150
100
50
17
68
65
57
19
18
74
54
9
70
67
16
14
8
0
9
7
10
10%
0%
11
10
20%
6
16
12
5
30%
72
13
14
40%
6
6
2
2
4
2
3
1
2
3
7
4
3
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016
SPADs on or affecting Network Rail managed infrastructure. This update
regarding SPAD performance is based on data available at the date of issue
and is subject to change as further information becomes known.
The blue bars refer to trains striking barriers where a previous incident had
caused the barriers to encroach onto the running line, such as a road vehicle
striking the barriers.
Produced by RSSB
Phone 020 3142 5461
Author: William Sharp
Email address: William.Sharp@RSSB.CO.UK