Train DW

Train DW Train DW Cops are investigating if a faulty signal caused two trains to collide "like a bomb explosion" in a horror rush-hour crash, reports claim. One of the drivers was killed and nine passengers were left in a critical condition fighting for their lives when two East Midlands Railway (EMR) services to London St Pancras collided at about 5.15pm on Friday near Bedford. Investigators are examining whether the automatic warning system on one of the trains failed to be triggered by a signal. Yesterday the injury toll rose to 100 with Network Rail yesterday describing it as a "tragic, isolated incident". Reports claim the Rail Accident Investigation Branch is looking at a potential failure of the moving train's automatic warning system (AWS). The AWS is triggered if a train passes a yellow or red signal without braking. A bell sounds in the cab and if the driver doesn't acknowledge it, a secondary system called the train protection warning system automatically applies the brakes. Investigators are retrieving the on-train data recorder - the railway equivalent of an aircraft's black box - to verify if the two systems were working. It will also detect the driver's interaction with the system before stopping, tell investigators the train's speed as well as when and for how long the brakes were used. Network Rail has warned that disruption between London and Bedford is expected to continue for a week following the smash. Ellie Burrows, Network Rail Eastern regional managing director, said: “While investigations are still at an early stage, current indications are that this was a tragic, isolated incident." The railway where the crash happened will be closed until June 28 while a “complex” recovery operation takes place, she added. The closure of the line between Bedford and London St Pancras means there will be no Greater Thameslink Railway services north of Luton and no East Midlands services south of Bedford. Nine people remained in a critical condition as of Saturday afternoon, after the collision on the same line at around 5pm the day before. The East of England Ambulance Service said 11 people sustained very serious injuries, 32 were seriously injured while another 57 people suffered minor injuries. The crash was declared a major incident by the British Transport Police on Friday. Passengers on board the Nottingham service described the collision as "bewildering and frightening". Alistair Adamson, who was travelling on the 3.50pm Nottingham to London St Pancras train, said he feared there would be an explosion after the impact. "All of a sudden, a really big impact," he said. "I immediately felt myself lurching forward and saw my colleagues across from me getting thrown around." Dr Peter Knapp, who was in the front carriage of the train that struck the other, said: "When I got up, I saw all of the chairs everywhere. It felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion. I saw people's bloodied faces, people's legs looked broken, and there was smoke everywhere." Shola Mene said she heard a "big bang" and that "people flew from their seats", adding: "There was a lot of blood. A lot of people had facial injuries."