Exclusive:Landslide sensors appear to have failed to avert Glasgow-London train derailment - industry source
Train removed and Network Rail hopes to re-open line on Wednesday
Sensors installed to detect movement in the hillside above the site of the Glasgow-London train derailment in Cumbria appear to have failed to avert the incident, an industry source has told The Scotsman.
The first carriage of the 11-coach Avanti West Coast service came off the tracks at 6.10am on Monday when it hit an “object” following a suspect landslip, Network Rail has said.
Four of the 87 passengers and crew suffered minor injuries in the incident on the west coast main line near Shap.
Network Rail has installed tilt meters or “inclinometers” to detect soil and rock movement since 2022, starting in Scotland.
That followed a ScotRail train crashing into a bridge parapet after it hit landslide debris at Carmont, near Stonehaven, in 2020, in which three people died.
Network Rail said the sensors sent alerts to control rooms when there was more than a five degree tilt.
The industry source said: “The area is very prone to earthworks issues, and getting worse with climate change.
“Much of the railway in the fells is built on the side of the hills, so the drainage off the fields is often across the railway.
“The area was already staked out with movement detectors, which, for whatever reason, do not appear to have prevented the derailment by stopping train movement in time.”
The source also said the Pendolino train had “stayed upright and within the railway alignment, which it is designed to do. Luckily nothing was coming the other way and the train hit no obstructions, unlike at Carmont.”
However, another industry source said: “They were trying to ascertain if the slip caused the derailment or the derailment caused the slip.
“In the previous hour, two trains had passed, a late-running Caledonian Sleeper service and an intermodal [freight train] and neither reported anything unusual.”
Network Rail said the role of the movement detectors would be determined by the UK Department of Transport’s Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) through its investigation.
Its spokesperson said on Tuesday: "Engineers have worked through the night with our contractors to successfully move the train.
“Immediately following this, teams began the complex work to repair the damage to overhead lines, track and signalling as well as initial works to repair the landslip.
“This is a complex fix, and our teams are working in challenging conditions with a further Met Office yellow weather warning for rain today.
"Our goal is to reopen the line so trains can run as soon as possible tomorrow. We appreciate passengers’ patience while we carry out this critical work.
“Lines remain closed between Preston and Carlisle. Please continue to check with train operators or National Rail Enquiries for the latest travel information and alternative routes."
A spokesperson for the RAIB said: “Our enquiries are ongoing and our team of inspectors are continuing to work at the site today.”
Meantime, it is understood that the damaged train being taken out of service will not cause a shortage as Avanti West Coast has sufficient spare Pendolinos to cover all its services.
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