On 13 March 2021, a Class 507electric multiple unit operated by Merseyrail collided with the buffer stop at Kirkby railway station, Merseyside, United Kingdom. The only injury was the driver of the train. The cause was found to be that the driver was using a mobile phone whilst driving. The distraction led him to enter the station at excessive speed. He was dismissed from Merseyrail and later prosecuted, pleading guilty to a charge of endangering the safety of people on the railway, for which he received a 12-month suspended sentence.
The layout at Kirkby station at the time of the incident was unusual. The station opened in 1848 as a through station on the Liverpool and Bury Railway between Liverpool Exchange and Wigan Wallgate. In 1977, for operational reasons, the line was split at Kirkby, with the two ends facing each other on a single extended platform. Buffer stops were provided on the end of each line, with a concrete section between the two. (Through-running was restored in 2023 following the construction of Headbolt Lane.)
Accident
507 006, the train involved, photographed in August 2008 at Rock Ferry station.
At 18:52 on 13 March 2021,[1] a Class 507electric multiple unit collided with the buffers. The train went through the buffer stop and collided with a bridge.[2] The train formed the 18:35 service from Liverpool Central station to Kirkby. There were two crew and twelve passengers on board.[3] The emergency services were alerted at 19:01 and arrived at 19:05. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the North West Ambulance Service and Merseyside Police all attended the scene.[2] The train was formed of two Class 507 units, 507 006 and 507 021.[4] All fourteen people on board the train were treated at the scene by paramedics.[5] The driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries.[3]
As a result of the accident, services were suspended between Rice Lane and Kirkby. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service had handed over control of the scene to the British Transport Police (BTP) by 21:40.[2] The next day, replacement bus services were set up between Kirkby and Aintree.[5] As a result of the accident, unit 507 006 was withdrawn from service. It was scrapped in September 2021.[6] Damage to the station cost £450,000 to repair.[1] The station reopened on 21 March.[4]
The Office of Rail and Road and BTP also opened investigations into the accident.[8] The BTP investigation found that the driver had been using WhatsApp on his mobile phone 26 seconds before the accident. It was later disclosed that he had been messaging about the death that day of Murray Walker.[9]
The train was travelling at 40 mph (64 km/h) where the speed limit was 15 mph (24 km/h).[1] Merseyrail's policy was that trains would enter Kirkby station at 10 mph (16 km/h).[10] The train was still doing 28 mph (45 km/h) when it collided with the buffer stop.[1]
Prosecution
On 31 March, it was reported that the 58-year-old driver of the train had been arrested by British Transport Police on suspicion of endangering the safety of the railway. He was released on bail,[8] then charged on 20 January 2022.[11] Merseyrail dismissed the driver in September 2021. At his trial on 8 February 2022, the driver pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of passengers on the railway.[1]
On 8 March 2022, the driver was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for two years, 180hours of community service and a three month evening curfew.[12]
See also
2008 Chatsworth train collision, accident in the United States in which a train driver was distracted by text messages on his mobile phone.
Bad Aibling rail accident, 2016 accident in Germany caused when dispatcher was distracted by a game on his mobile phone.
