riends and family of the 35 victims of the 1988 Clapham rail crash have gathered to pay their respects 25 years on. The Clapham disaster figures heavily in my memories of the Mayoralty. It was only by sheer fortune that a fourth train managed to stop in time just yards from the carnage. It established that the rewiring works, which had first been recommended in 1978, were under pressure to be completed and understaffed. All I can remember is dust and debris as youve never experienced it in your life.. IT is almost 30 years since a crowded passenger train crashed into another train at Clapham Junction railway station in London, killing 35 people. A second service was also held at the memorial site, which was attended by train drivers and representatives of their union, Aslef. The operator in the nearby Raynes Park electrical control room suspected there had been a derailment and re-configured the supply so that the nearby Wimbledon line trains could still run. --5.66.251.219 (talk) 00:52, 29 August 2016 (UTC)Reply[reply], I posted, but I am unable to add References as of yet due to being busy. Lee Middleton, then a 39-year-old father of two, had caught the train at Brockenhurst that morning. As the train from Basingstoke was approaching Clapham Junction, the driver saw the signal ahead of him change from green ("proceed") to red ("danger"). If I use the analogy of doctors, so a G.P. A 250-page report on the findings of the accident inquiry, chaired by Anthony Hidden QC, found faulty wiring had caused an incorrect signal to be displayed to a train driver, who was driving into a blind bend and had no chance to stop. Links He was to have celebrated his birthday on Sunday. Mark I carriages have to be used instead of the newer, safer Mark III. I met all these people who were involved or affected in different ways and I decided I was going to have them all to the Mayors Parlour in the New Year. New wiring had been installed, but the old wiring had been left in place and not adequately secured. Bournemouth East MP David Atkinson, British Rail chairman Robert Reid and Bournemouth mayor Cllr Jacky Harris were among those paying their respects. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's It is also the busiest station in the UK for interchanges between services. Compliments. An inquiry promised by Mrs Thatcher was soon underway. Chartered accountant George Gillon, 71, was in the third carriage of the London-bound Bournemouth train when the accident happened. Sir Anthony Hidden, who has died aged 79, was a prominent QC - and later a High Court judge - whose report into the Clapham train crash of December 12 1988 in which 35 people were killed and. Green, north London. He was identified from his clothing and documents. [] The late 1980s were notable for a relentless string of disasters which affected Britain; the Zeebrugge ferry capsize, the Kings Cross fire, the Piper Alpha oil platform explosion, the Hillsborough Disaster and, as seen recently on this site, the Clapham rail crash. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. After being told there was nothing to worry about Alexander hung upbut as he did so a second train- this one heading up from Bournemouth- roared around the corner at approximately 50mph. Muthulingam Thayaparan, 26, of Tooting, south-west London. He had two children, aged three and six. Read about our approach to external linking. But it said Mr Hemingways uncharacteristic errors were because his judgement had been blunted by a totally unacceptable level of overtime. British Rail was eventually fined 250,000 for health and safety violations relating to the crash, which left a further 500 people injured. A London-bound commuter train, travelling from Bournemouth, crashed into the back of another service near Clapham Junction. Despite its name, the district of Clapham is around one mile south-east of the station. At 8.13am on 12 December 1988, three trains collided in south London in one of the UK's worst rail disasters. An independent inquiry chaired by Anthony Hidden, QC found that the signalling technician responsible had not been told that his working practices were wrong, and his work had not been inspected by an independent person. The signalling technician who had done the work had not cut back, insulated, nor tied back the loose wire and his work had not been supervised, nor inspected by an independent person as was required. Her mum Muriel said then: She was a very gregarious girl and had masses of friends.. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. To those nearby, it sounded like a bomb had gone off. I enjoy your posts very much. You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Antonio Lacovara, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Hither Green, London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton said she remembered the "tragic" event "like it was yesterday". Clapham Junction is a major railway station in Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Mr Hodder had qualified to drive for the 2023 BBC. British Rail was fined 250,000 for violations of health and safety law in connection with the accident. Simon Edward. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. [24], Testing was mandated on British Rail signalling work[25] and the hours of work of employees involved in safety-critical work was limited. Marilyn Robinson, 73, escaped the wreckage of the Basingstoke train with relatively minor injuries. Put new text under old text. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please British Rail was fined 250,000 for violations of health and safety law in connection with the accident, which has been described as the worst train accident of recent times. Thank you so much for sharing Louise, its truly humbling to hear about your experience. Transport Libraries The Hidden inquiry into the crash said the primary cause was "wiring errors" made by a rail worker who had had one. The crash had the fourth highest death toll of any UK rail disaster since 1948. Heck, just above both mine and your Posts, you can see that I asked if somebody would have been kind enough to source it, but by the time I checked again, it was all removed, and I do understand that quite a bit of it WAS useless. I had been in the London Ambulance Service for over eight years when this happened. It had made me realise how precious life is, says Lee, who now lives in Winchester. [5], The driver of the Basingstoke train was off his train and standing by the line-side telephone when his train was pushed forward several feet by the collision. A small congregation gathered near the site of the accident at Clapham Junction rail station this morning and observed a two-minute silence. He recommended a reduction in working hours (staff had been working every day for weeks which inevitably leads to fatigue). Amongst the dead was technician Michael Newman whose glittering theatre signs for shows such as ' Cats ', ' Singing in the Rain' and ' Phantom of the Opera ' earned him the nickname, " the man who brought the West End to light ." Survivors and relatives of the victims attended a service. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Latest Documents An investigation by the rail company showed that the signal that failed would not show red, for danger/stop, if the circuit in front of it was occupied. Mr Bowis said the boys from nearby Emanuel School were "impressive" in the way they came to help the injured, but added: "I'm very conscious that some very young eyes and minds were confronted with awful things.". 7.27pm: A Weymouth-bound express hits a concrete mixer left by vandals on the line near Parkstone station. A number of my friends on that train were killed.". The silence was held at 08:13 GMT, the exact time the three-train collision happened close to Clapham Junction station in south London. The Clapham Junction rail crash on 12 December 1988 claimed the lives of 35 people. By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. An independent inquiry into the crash was set up by the Department of Transport, chaired by Anthony Hidden QC. --2A02:C7F:A817:1E00:4C9C:11A0:D6F7:6B13 (talk) 20:09, 8 October 2016 (UTC)Reply[reply], Alrighty, this is for anyone who wants to read about the Article, but more especially for Tagish, the plan I have for the re-write of the Article is to slightly follow the Formula of the Article about the Abbots Ripton rail accident in that it gives a Rough Overview, explanation on the Geography, Signalling and the like, then the Accident in greater depth. ATP, which governs speeds and automatically stops trains at red signals, was deemed too expensive to install prior to rail privatisation in 1993. It happened during the morning rush hour when one commuter . [33], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}512726N 01028W / 51.4571N 0.1744W / 51.4571; -0.1744, View of the crash site and clean up operations following the accident, Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, "On This Day, 12 December 1988: 35 dead in Clapham rail collision", "Changes in Working Hours Safety Critical Work", "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", "Legislating the Criminal Code: Involuntary Manslaughter", "Serious irregularity at Cardiff East Junction 29 December 2016", "Collision at London Waterloo 15 August 2017", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clapham_Junction_rail_crash&oldid=1132102074, This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 07:37. Contributions As a result, British Rail were fined 250,000 although many believed the company shouldve been prosecuted for Corporate Manslaughter. The original document format was Paper, and comprised 250 pages. Clapham Junction is a major railway station in Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Witnesses said they saw carriages thrown into the air and come crashing back down onto the tracks. View our online Press Pack. About 70 people suffered horrific injuries as the front section of the moving train was ripped open and completely destroyed. This document was published on 27th September 1989 by His/Her Majesty's Stationery Office. It remains the worst mainline train crash in terms of fatalities in the last 56 years. His mistakes had allowed a signal to remain at green when the Basingstoke train had stopped just beyond it. Both trains were carrying around 1,300 passengers between them during the morning rush hour. Cyril Elliott, 41, a married management consultant from Beckenham, Kent, was identified from his dental records. He was told there was nothing wrong with the signal. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The scene near Clapham Junction Station following the rush hour rail crash on December 12, 1988, An injured man is helped to safety following the worst rain crash in recent times, The scene of the train crash as emergency services moved in, The trains involved were the 07:18 from Basingstoke to London Waterloo and the 06:30 from Bournemouth, Two mourners embrace at the scene at 8.13am - the time of the crash - on the 10th anniversary of the disaster, New video reveals scale of Tube strike mayhem at Clapham Junction, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Survivors attended a service at the crash memorial site near the scene of the accident, which took place on 12 December 1988. On the day, two commuter trains, carrying an estimated 1,300 passengers between them, collided just outside the station. It also recommended that automatic train protection (ATP) be installed across the UK rail network. Speaking at the memorial service today, he said: "I was one of the lucky ones. A 250-page report on the findings of the accident inquiry, chaired by Anthony Hidden QC, found faulty wiring had caused an incorrect signal to be displayed to a train driver, who was driving into a blind bend and had no chance to stop. "However, we must never become complacent. He was recently married and his first child was born two months ago. RSS Feeds Although many of the Hidden report's 93 recommendations were acted on, a rail accident report last month found lessons learned in the disaster were being "forgotten". We started pulling people out through the window.. "There were Christmas cards strewn everywhere as people must have been writing their cards on the train," she said. I saw all parts of the train flying into the airwe jumped over the railings and climbed into the train through a broken window. Wiltshire. "It was something you never forget," he said. Required fields are marked *. [16] The re-wiring had been done a few weeks previously, but the fault had only developed the previous day when equipment had been moved and the loose and uninsulated wire had created a false feed to a relay. When the crash happened we were thrown down the train. Simon Wood, 40, a project worker for a charity working with homeless children, of Liss, Clapham train crash On 12 December 1988 the 07:18 from Basingstoke to London Waterloo was approaching Clapham Junction when the driver saw the signal. Derek Antonowitz, a 25-year-old South Africa-born computer consultant from Willesden He was one of the best sons you could ever have., Keen sailor Alison Macgregor, 23, was the only daughter of a Wimborne couple. Unable to stop in time, the driver- Alexander McClymont halted the train in a cutting on Wandsworth Common, just before Battersea Rise and about half a mile south of Clapham Junction station, where he climbed down from the cab and used a trackside telephone to inform the nearest signal box of the problem. He was travelling to London for a national executive meeting of trade union Unison. Genealogy Some of the walking injured were treated at nearby Emanuel School. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------. My body has healed but I will never forget. Two slam-door trains in 1986 (image: Wikipedia). However, he was told there was nothing wrong with the signal at this point the Bournemouth train struck the back of the Basingstoke train at around 40mph. He still remembers people being thrown around the carriage like rag dolls. Now, I don't know why this is, but would it be okay if I could add a lot of the Detail in MY OWN WORDS to the Article, although the only source I have IS the Report? I phoned his parents when I heard of the crash and they gave me the sad news that he had been on the train. [11] Work associated with the Waterloo Area Resignalling Scheme meant new wiring had been installed,[12] but the old wiring had been left connected at one end, and loose and uninsulated at the other. The clear up effort after the crash which claimed the lives of 35 people. One of the simplest changes was that any wire which was not terminated on a terminal had to have a special insulated crimp on the end. His train, which had come from Poole, ploughed head-on into the back of a stationary train, from Basingstoke. Amongst the dead was technician Michael Newman whose glittering theatre signs for shows such as Cats, Singing in the Rain and Phantom of the Opera earned him the nickname, the man who brought the West End to light.. That was and is the aim of this Investigation. The railway cutting through Wandsworth Common. I'll try my best to source most of it, most of which will be from Hidden's Report, which I believe Tagish said is okay. [7], Pupils and teachers from the adjacent Emanuel School, who were first on the scene of the disaster,[8] were later commended for their service by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. I went to work the next day and burst out in tears as I was decorating the room. Stephen Loader, 34, was on the way to his job as a personnel manager at Global Bank. A charity named in her memory has since given 80,000 disabled people the chance to sail on Southampton Water. There were 460 people aboard the Bournemouth to Waterloo that morning when it ploughed into the stationary train from Basingstoke. On the following morning your predecessor as Secretary of State for Transport invited me to hold a formal Investigation into the causes and all the circumstances attending the accident under section 7 of the Regulation of Railways Act 1871. Stay well. Your email address will not be published. --90.218.111.72 (talk) 00:30, 31 August 2016 (UTC) Wreaths have been laid and a minute's silence held to remember the 35 people killed in a train crash in south London 30 years ago. Michael Newman, who my father knew personally, can be seen in the bottom right hand corner (image: The Times). The trains involved were the 07:18 from Basingstoke to London Waterloo and the 06:30 from Bournemouth. Please enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Ola Bratlie, a 26-year-old telecommunications engineer. Editors' Code of Practice. My sister should be a grandmother soon. Click here to start a new topic. Further Reading Rescue was hampered because the railway was in a cutting, with a metal fence at the top and a wall at the bottom of a wooded slope. He had lived with his girlfriend for 10 years. Well, I wrote a much more detailed version, but it got deleted. He had been working seven days a week for 13 weeks. The Clapham Junction railway crash occurred on the morning of 12 December 1988, when a crowded British Rail passenger train crashed into the rear of another train that had stopped at a signal just south of Clapham Junction railway station in London, England, and subsequently sideswiped an empty train travelling in the opposite direction. Comments have been closed on this article. He joined the railways at 15, becoming a driver in 1964. Under 100 characters, optional. Faulty wiring and an incorrect signal caused the 1988 crash at Clapham Junction, It took hours for firefighters and medics to free trapped people and recover bodies, Marilyn Robinson was on her way from Basingstoke to a course in London when her train was struck, The Met's Cressida Dick, London mayor Sadiq Khan and LFB's Dany Cotton each laid a wreath at a memorial in Spencer Park, Battersea, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. emmy mirsky goldbergs real life,