RAIB report details moments before Bedford train collision

A Rail Accident Investigation Branch interim report says an East Midlands Railway train from Corby continued accelerating after its driver acknowledged a red-signal warning before it struck a stationary train near Bedford on June 19. The collision killed Corby train driver Shaun Burton and injured more than 160 people; 102 were taken to hospital. Data from the Corby train showed it reached 76 mph after passing the red signal. The driver applied the full service brake about 10 seconds before impact and the emergency brake roughly two seconds later, according to the report. The train hit the rear of the stationary Nottingham-to-London service at about 50 mph. The collision derailed both trains. The Nottingham train had stopped after an automatic brake demand. The RAIB said its driver did not acknowledge an Automatic Warning System alert within 2.7 seconds, triggering the brakes. The signal behind the stopped train then changed to red, protecting it from approaching traffic. The interim report describes the warning as unexpected because the signal associated with the alert was showing green.