Driver lay between tracks to avoid train at 105mph

A TRAIN driver came within three seconds of being struck by an Inverness-bound passenger train travelling at 105mph after a trainee signaller mistakenly left a track open.

The driver of the Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) service was forced to lie on the ground between two tracks to avoid being hit by the oncoming train in a nearmiss incident on August 3 this year.

The incident began after the 7.55am Virgin service from Inverness to London King’s Cross Virgin broke down at Kyle Beck, 12 miles north of York station. The driver contacted the duty signaller to request that trains on the adjacent lines be stopped while he got out of the cab to carry out wheel checks.

The report by the RAIB report notes that communication between the driver and signaller broke down, with the driver assuming that his request had been acted upon and the signaller – a trainee – believing that the driver was waiting for him to phone back.

The report states: “The driver and the trainee signaller did not reach a clear understanding about stopping trains on the adjacent lines, and the driver subsequently alighted from the driving cab of his train, incorrectly believing it was safe to do so.”

CCTV footage shows that the driver first became aware of the oncoming Virgin London King’s Cross-Inverness train “approximately six seconds before it reached him”.

The report adds: “He then lay down close to his train in the space between the down fast and up fast lines; he was lying on the ground with three seconds to spare.”