Safety failure highlighted over island rail crash

Safety procedures during maintenance work on an island's railway should be improved, accident investigators have found.

The Rail Accident Investigation Bureau (RAIB) report followed a collision on the Isle of Wight's Island Line involving a road-rail vehicle and a hand trolley which injured two maintenance workers in November 2023.

It found South Western Railway (SWR) "did not have an effective process" for planning and managing the risk of on-track plant movements.

The report said SWR has since introduced new control measures within its work sites.

The crash happened near Brading during overnight works on 22 November 2023 when the road-rail vehicle was being used to clear vegetation and was travelling between its work locations.

Workers lifted the trolley off the track when they realised the vehicle was heading towards it but was inadvertently left too close to the track and remained in its path.

As a result of the collision, the trolley struck two members of the track repair work group on the legs, pushing them into bushes beside the track.

Both were treated in hospital for minor injuries.

RAIB inspectors found the controller of site safety had not been informed of the road-rail vehicle’s movement.

The RAIB recommended that SWR, which is responsible for both track and trains on the island, "review how it manages safety during infrastructure work on the Island Line".

It also said the company should provide its staff and contractors with "accurate information about its infrastructure".

The report said SWR had updated its risk assessment since the incident.

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