HSE publishes technical report on Great Heck investigation

HSE Press Release E224:02 - 4 December 2002

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today published a final technical report on the investigation into the collision at Great Heck, near Selby, on 28 February 2001 in which 10 people died. The collision occurred after a car and trailer ran off the M62 motorway and blocked the railway line between Doncaster and York.

A high-speed passenger train was derailed and subsequently collided with a freight train, resulting in the deaths of six passengers and four railway staff. In addition, 82 people suffered serious injuries.

Although the direct cause of the incident - the passenger train running into the car - was established at the time, the report examines in detail the sequence of events, deduced from site examination, witness statements and post-incident investigation.

The report addresses:

• the technical details of the initial derailment and subsequent collision;
• the effects of the high collision speed on the rolling stock and track; and
• the railway industry's own formal inquiry and summarises the main recommendations being progressed by Railway Safety with HSE's full support.

With an estimated closing speed of 142mph - the highest speed recorded for such an incident in the UK - the collision was outside the parameters of all recognised crashworthiness standards.

The report confirms the industry inquiry's findings that there were no track, signalling, maintenance, rolling stock, staff competence or other infrastructure defects which could have contributed to the incident.

Copies of 'The track obstruction by a road vehicle and subsequent train collisions at Great Heck 28 February 2001: report of the HSE investigation' are available on the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/railway/selby/final.pdf

Printed copies will be available, as of 11 December 2002, from HSE Books, ISBN 0 7176 2163 4, price £9.50.

Notes to editors

1. HSE published an interim report into the incident on 6 March 2001, which confirmed the initial cause (see HSE press notice E039:01). The full text of the interim report is accessible on the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/railway/selby/interim1.htm

2. A number of major policy issues relating to the incident were the subject of a Health and Safety Commission (HSC) working group report: 'Obstruction of the railway by road vehicles', published in February 2002 (see press notice C007:02 of 25 February 2002). In parallel, a working group established by the Highways Agency published a review of the provision of nearside safety barriers on major roads. Recommendations from HSC's report, which are also reproduced in today's report, are being taken forward by the Department for Transport, the Highways Agency and local road authorities. The text of the HSC report is on the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/railway/obstruct.pdf

3. The report states that Railway Safety is a subsidiary of Railtrack Group PLC. In October 2002, Network Rail purchased Railtrack PLC and Railway Safety from Railtrack Group PLC.

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