This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source.(November 2020) |
On 5 November 1967, a busy Sunday evening train service fromHastingstoLondon Charing Crossderailed near theHither Green maintenance depotinLondon,betweenHither GreenandGrove Parkrailway stations. Of the twelve coaches, many full ofstanding passengers,eleven were derailed and four turned onto their sides, resulting in 49 fatalities and 78 injuries. It is Britain's sixth worstrail disasterin terms ofdeath toll.
| Hither Green rail crash | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 5 November 1967 21:16 |
| Location | Hither Green Depot |
| Country | England |
| Line | South Eastern Main Line (BR Southern Region) |
| Cause | Broken rail |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | full train, somestanding passengers |
| Deaths | 49 |
| Injured | 78 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
The derailment was found to be due to a broken rail. The Ministry of Transport report criticised the maintenance of the line, especially following a recent increase of the maximum speed of trains over the route. Following the accident the maintenance of the line was improved and plans accelerated for replacing jointed track by continuous welded rail.
Derailment
editOn Sunday 5 November 1967 the 19:43 Hastings to Charing Cross service, consisting of twelve coaches formed by two six-cardiesel-electric multiple units– 1007 (a6S) leading 1017 (a6L)[1]– and travelling at approximately 70 miles per hour (110 km/h),derailedat 21:16 shortly before the St Mildred's Road railway bridge, nearHither Green maintenance depot.The leading pair wheels of the third coach were derailed by a broken rail and ran on for a quarter of a mile (400 m) before hitting points, causing eleven coaches to be derailed and four of those to turn onto their sides. The train came to rest in 250 yards (230 m), except for the leading coach that detached and ran on a further 220 yards (200 m).[2]
It was a busy Sunday evening and there were passengers standing in the train. Forty-nine passengers were killed and 78 injured, 27 being detained in hospital. Most of the casualties had been travelling in the overturned coaches.[2]The victims includedJames Gordon Melville Turnerand Hugh Whittard, son of Walter Whittard international retailer of fine teas. Amongst the survivors were singerRobin Gibbof theBee Geesand his wife-to-be Molly Hullis.[3][4]
Aftermath
editThe emergency services arrived within five minutes and the first casualty arrived at hospital 18 minutes after the derailment. The last survivor was taken to hospital at 01:00 the following morning. Local residents,The Salvation ArmyandWomen's Voluntary Serviceassisted the injured and shocked.[2]
The fast lines were blocked by the derailment and the traction current to the slow lines was turned off to allow the rescue. Traction current was temporarily restored to the slow lines for the Tuesday morning rush hour and returned to traffic at 15:40 that afternoon. The fast lines were reopened with a speed restriction at 06:20 Wednesday morning.[2]
Inquiry and report
editThe derailment was found to be due to a broken rail at a rail joint, where afatiguecrack through the first bolt hole in a running-on rail had progressively developed and a triangular piece of rail had broken out. Thesleeperat the joint had previously failed and been replaced with a shallower timber replacement. This replacement had not been well packed, was on a shallow layer of clean ballast and the rubber pad supporting the rail on the adjacent concrete sleeper was missing.[5]
After the derailment passengers commented about trains running at excessive speed, but British Rail routinely monitored this and the number of trains running in excess of the permitted speed was small and normally only by a small amount. Complaints were also received about the rough riding of Hastings line stock and another train of the same class was tested on Southern Region and Eastern Region track. Although the ride quality was better on the Eastern region track, it was not considered dangerous on Southern Region track.[6]
The speed limit forelectric multiple unitson the track had been raised from 75 mph (121 km/h) to 90 mph (140 km/h) in July 1967.[7]After the derailment the line was inspected and a temporary speed restriction of 60 mph (97 km/h) imposed.[8]The report found that Civil Engineering and Inspection Departments had permitted too low a standard of maintenance on the line and had failed to assess the implications of increasing the speed of the trains.[9]
Legacy
editMaintenance of the line was improved,inspectiontechniques and jointing methods were revised, and plans for replacingjointed trackbycontinuous welded railwere accelerated. Concrete sleepers were banned at rail joints on theSouthern Region.[10]
A plaque in Hither Green station commemorates the victims. Station staff and loved ones laid wreaths and flowers at the plaque on the anniversary of the disaster.
See also
edit
- Edward Ashmore § Family
- Pioltello train derailment,also caused by a broken rail at a track joint
References
editFootnotes
edit- ^McMullen 1968,pp. 2–3.
- ^abcdMcMullen 1968,p. 1.
- ^"The History of Whittard".Whittard of Chelsea.Retrieved22 June2020.
- ^"Massachusetts by Bee Gees".Songfacts.Songfacts.com. 1 November 2009.Retrieved22 June2020.
- ^McMullen 1968,p. 17.
- ^McMullen 1968,pp. 14–16.
- ^McMullen 1968,p. 2.
- ^McMullen 1968,p. 6.
- ^McMullen 1968,pp. 18–19.
- ^McMullen 1968,pp. 19–21.
Bibliography
edit- McMullen, D. (8 August 1968).Report On The Derailment That Occurred On 5th November, 1967 Near Hither Green In The Southern Region British Railways(Report).Her Majesty's Stationery Office.Retrieved13 October2012– via The Railways Archive.
Further reading
edit- Nock, O.S. (1980).Historic Railway Disasters(2nd ed.). Ian Allan.
- Hall, Stanley (1987).Danger Signals.Ian Allan.
External links
edit- ITN news footage and interviews
- Hither Green rail crashBBC News online 'On this day'