12/12/1988 - Channel 4 - Clapham Junction Rail Crash - YouTube It is also the busiest station in the UK for interchanges between services. The electrician whod overlooked the fault had been on voluntary overtime which had seen him working seven days a week for the past thirteen weeks; a regime which had inevitably led to exhaustion. It was determined that the cause of the accident- the light which had inexplicably flicked from green to red- was down to faulty signal wiringhoused within a unit that was approximately fifty years old. This item is linked to the Accident at Clapham Junction on 12th December 1988. But 11 years later, I was in the first ambulance to arrive at the Labdroke Grove Train Crash. John Bowis, who was the MP for Battersea at the time, said he drove to the "awful scene of carnage" as soon as he heard the news. He then called the Clapham Junction station manager and asked him to call the emergency services. Ola Bratlie, a 26-year-old telecommunications engineer. His family described him as "a real gentleman, a kind and loving family man". Many thanks for those kind words and for sharing your experience, much appreciated. His train, which had come from Poole, ploughed head-on into the back of a stationary train, from Basingstoke. Act 1974,[28] there was no prosecution for manslaughter. 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. 49 people died when a Hastings to Charing Cross train derailed at 70mph. Neil Dowse, 39, a sheet metal worker who worked in Slough but (Please note this article contains details and images which some readers may find upsetting). No-one was hurt, but a report found mistakes made were similar to those which caused a fatal crash at Clapham Junction in 1988. Two memorials were held to remember those who lost their lives. Read about our approach to external linking. They were: Brian Cooper: "Kind and. Unable to stop at the signal, he stopped his train at the next signal and then reported a signal failure by telephone. Ms Robinson went on to join Disaster Action to help other people affected by tragedies like the one she experienced. (Getty Images) At 8.13am on 12 December 1988, three trains collided in south London in one of the UK's worst rail disasters. Alan Stewart, 28, an accountant from Auckland in New Zealand. The pair had planned to return to New Zealand to get married. The 31 victims identified A tribute is left for victim Derek Antonowitz, 25, near the crash site Thirty-one people died in the Paddington train crash. At 08:13 on 12 December 1988 faulty wiring and signalling caused three trains to collide in Clapham. ", Why we sold our north London house to rent near Woking for more than our mortgage, South east London criminals jailed in April including rapist, flasher and murderer, Bromley classic car fanatic could be forced to sell collection due to ULEZ plans, Anita Rani hopes coronation coverage brings human moments and unknown quantity, Alan Carr to be part of judging panel for brand new ITV musical theatre show, World record crowd provides fitting end to historic Women's Six Nations, AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, Palestinian hunger striker dies in Israel prison, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. David Brand Roberts, 35, of Swindon, To make matters even worse a third train tore into the area moments later, smashing into the already tangled wreckage. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? He had been returning home for the birthday of one of his two young sons. A two-minute silence has been held to remember 35 people who died in the Clapham rail crash 25 years ago. My body has healed but I will never forget. Devastation: the scene at Clapham Junction in 1988 where 35 people died, Chaos: firefighters, paramedics and police search for survivors (Picture: PA), You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Clapham Junction rail distaster that killed 35 people, injured hundreds and . "There were Christmas cards strewn everywhere as people must have been writing their cards on the train," she said. I enjoy your posts very much. A small congregation gathered near the site of the accident at Clapham Junction rail station this morning and observed a two-minute silence. However some were so badly injured that they required emergency procedures at the scene. company, who described him as "enthusiastic and dedicated", two months before the crash. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. At 11:00 on Wednesday, Ms Cotton joined survivors and families as well as the London mayor Sadiq Khan, the Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, and rail industry representatives to lay wreaths and hold a minute's silence at a memorial to victims in Spencer Park, Battersea, followed by a service at St Mark's church. contact the editor here. The driver of a fourth train, coasting with no traction current, saw the other trains and managed to come to a stop behind the other two and the signal that should have protected them, which was showing a yellow "proceed with caution" aspect instead of a red "danger" aspect. He immediately snatched the phone back to alert the signal box and call for emergency services. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Rail industry 'forgetting lessons' of Clapham disaster - BBC News The report made 93 recommendations for safety improvements, including a limit on the number of hours signalmen were allowed to work. The 'Hidden Report' into the causes of the collision south of Clapham Junction on December 12 1988, in which 35 people died. The clear up effort after the crash which claimed the lives of 35 people. He was 44 and married. News Stories John Bowis, who was the MP for Battersea at the time, said he drove to the "awful scene of carnage" as soon as he heard the news. London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton said she remembered the "tragic" event "like it was yesterday". 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 132 injured forced British Rail to overhaul its safety culture. Although this Accident was a rather major incident on British Railways, the Wikipedia Article of which is rather lacking in the details given by Hidden's Report. The Knowledge of London: Training to be a London Cabbie, The Archive: Links to all previous articles, https://beetleypete.wordpress.com/2013/06/22/ambulance-stories-41/, From London to Lockerbie: The 30th Anniversary of Pan Am 103 | View from the Mirror, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBYAVtF7v-U, Follow View from the Mirror on WordPress.com, RobsLondon YouTube Channel: Exploring Waterloos Secret Arches, Candid Capital: From the Suburbs to The City, Keith Flint: A Tribute to The Firestarter, Introducing the View From the Mirror Archive- a new contents page, From London to Lockerbie: The 30th Anniversary of Pan Am 103, The 30th Anniversary of the Clapham Rail Disaster. One minute you are here, the next you are not. This document was published on 27th September 1989 by His/Her Majesty's Stationery Office. God bless you Richard, rest in peace .. Linda Ship, 47, and her sister Diana O'Carroll, 44, travelled from Hampshire to remember their father Arthur Creek, 48, who was killed on the train. He had also performed the work during his 13th consecutive seven-day workweek. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Former Mayor remembers grieving relatives. Management was to ensure that no one was working high levels of overtime,[20] and a senior project manager made responsible for all aspects of the project. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thank you so much for flagging down my virtual cab. [22] Cab radios, linking driver and signalman, were recommended[23] and to begin installing public address system on existing trains that were not expected to be withdrawn within five years. All I can remember is dust and debris as youve never experienced it in your life.. The silence was held at 08:13 GMT, the exact time the three-train collision happened close to Clapham Junction station in south London. He had started a new job in Slough The collision was the result of a signal failure caused by a wiring fault. This is not a forum for general discussion of the article's subject. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, report last month found lessons learned in the disaster were being "forgotten", Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, Photo of Princess Charlotte shared as she turns 8. John Northcott, 24, a graduate working in the IT industry, of Leyton, east London. London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton said she remembered the "tragic" event "like it was yesterday". [], This is an amazing piece of work. The first thing I saw was legs with jeans and shoes on. At 11:00 on Wednesday, Ms Cotton joined survivors and families as well as the London mayor Sadiq Khan, the Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, and rail industry representatives to lay wreaths and hold a minute's silence at a memorial to victims in Spencer Park, Battersea, followed by a service at St Mark's church. The Hidden inquiry into the crash said the primary cause was "wiring errors" made by a rail worker who had had one. According to witnesses onboard, the driver of this train- John Rolls barged through the door of his cab in the final seconds before impact, no doubt realising it was impossible to brake in time. One, George Gillon, from London, said he was "one of the lucky ones". 2023 BBC. Contributions --2A02:C7F:A817:1E00:91BF:6588:CF9F:52E4 (talk) 21:57, 7 October 2016 (UTC)Reply[reply], But other articles in more minor Railway accidents, like the Abbots Ripton rail accident has more detail then this. An independent inquiry into the crash was set up by the Department of Transport, chaired by Anthony Hidden QC. About 70 people suffered horrific injuries as the front section of the moving train was ripped open and completely destroyed. In 1989 a memorial to those who were killed and injured was unveiled on Spencer Park which overlooks the site of the tragedy. I'll try and make a better article soon-ish and get it to be relatively shorter then my previous attempt.

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