Overview
- A collision between two East Midlands Railway services south of Bedford on June 19 injured about 162 people and killed driver Shaun Burton.
- A coroner opened an inquest on July 14 and recorded Burton’s provisional cause of death as traumatic injuries to the brainstem and chest, then adjourned the hearing pending criminal and safety inquiries.
- The Rail Accident Investigation Branch’s interim analysis found forward-facing CCTV shows the approaching train passed a red signal before impact and that the stationary train had stopped unexpectedly after an automatic warning system fault caused its brakes to apply.
- Data recovered from the striking train show brakes were applied roughly nine seconds, about 200 yards, before impact and the speed fell from about 76–77 mph to 49 mph at collision.
- RAIB and the British Transport Police continue parallel probes into what AWS indications the driver received, equipment performance and human factors, with safety recommendations and any criminal findings expected once investigations conclude.