Driver in fatal Bedford train crash passed red signal moments before collision

Driver in fatal Bedford train crash passed red signal moments before collision Shaun Burton died when his train smashed into the rear of another on the same line - Bookmark A train driver who died in a crash near Bedford had passed a red signal moments before the collision, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch says. Shaun Burton, 60, was pronounced dead at the scene after his East Midlands Railway service struck the rear of another on the same line on Friday evening. More than 100 people received hospital treatment in the aftermath of the incident. Fifty-three were still in hospital as of Monday, including eight people in critical care, according to the British Transport Police. On Wednesday, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said in an interim report that Mr Burton’s train proceeded past a red signal near the scene of the crash in Elstow at 5.15pm on Friday. It added that “it is not yet possible to say what indication the driver received” from automatic warning system (AWS) equipment fitted to the train. Mr Burton’s train was travelling at 49mph at the point of the collision, analysis of black box data showed. The RAIB said the brakes were applied nine seconds before the crash, at which point the train was travelling at 76mph. East Midlands Railway managing director Will Rogers said that the company will continue to co-operate fully with the RAIB probe. “We are fully committed to working as an industry to support the continuing investigation,” he said. “We are deeply sorry that this has happened on our railway. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences remain with those affected, particularly EMR driver Shaun Burton, who tragically lost his life. “While any incident like this is extremely serious, Britain’s railway remains one of the safest in the world, with fatal accidents extremely rare relative to the 1.7 billion journeys made each year. Independent comparisons continue to rank the network among the safest in Europe. “Given the complexity of the issues being examined, it is important that the independent investigation is allowed to reach its conclusions. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment on specific findings or speculate on the circumstances surrounding the accident before all of the evidence has been examined.” Mr Rogers said the company would await the findings of the RAIB’s final report before commenting further. “Our focus remains on supporting those affected by the incident while continuing to work with the relevant authorities and carefully considering any recommendations identified through the investigation process. “We will do everything we can to ensure this never happens again.” In a tribute issued by British Transport Police (BTP) earlier this week, Mr Burton’s family said: “We are devastated by his loss. Our thoughts are also with those affected by this incident.” Dave Calfe, general secretary of Aslef, the train drivers’ union, said: “We are all heartbroken by the death of Shaun Burton which leaves a hole in the lives of his family, friends, and colleagues, which will never be filled. “Shaun, a driver at East Midlands Railway, joined the railway relatively late in life. “He loved public transport – he used to work on buses and coaches – before he became a train driver seven years ago.” On Sunday, Network Rail called the crash a “tragic, isolated incident”, as it launched a major operation to minimise significant disruption expected on the rail lines. [Image text:] LUTON AIRPOF EXPRE! CONNECTED BY EMR ASTMIDLANDS RAILWAY EA DLANDSRAIL y5 60115 810015 POLICE