TOTON RUNAWAY FINDINGS

24 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2022 :: RMTnews In its report into the runaway and derailment of wagons at Toton, Nottinghamshire on January 17 2021, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has found that DB Cargo had no clear processes in place. At 04:42 hrs on the day of the incident a rake of 22 wagons, 21 of which were loaded, ran away from Old Bank sidings at Toton. As it ran away, the rake passed a red signal, which generated an alarm that alerted the signaller. The rake passed a second red signal and, a short distance later, the leading four wagons derailed at the end of the run-out rails associated with a set of trap points. The trap points worked as intended to derail the unauthorised movement. The leading two derailed wagons stopped foul of the adjacent running line, although no trains were nearby when the derailment occurred. The rake of wagons travelled a total distance of about 0.6 miles during the runaway. RAIB’s investigation found that the rake of wagons ran away because it had not been secured with either handbrakes or scotches after it was stabled in Old Bank sidings the previous evening. This meant that the wagons were only being held by air trapped in their brake systems, which subsequently leaked away. The wagons were free to move because the incoming train they were part of had not been secured before its locomotive was uncoupled and because there was miscommunication between the ground staff on duty about who would secure the train. An underlying factor was that staff at Old Bank sidings were routinely leaving trains unsecured for short periods of time, but this was not identified by DB Cargo’s safety assurance activities. A second underlying factor was that DB Cargo had no clear process in place that defined the tasks required when trains arrived, and no process to provide confirmation that these tasks TOTON RUNAWAY FINDINGS Report finds DB Cargo had no processes for tasks required when trains arrived or confirm they had been carried out