At approximately 6:40 pm on Friday, February 10th, 2023, a Great Western Railway train traveling from London Paddington to Hereford collided with brick rubble on the single line at Yarnton, situated between Oxford and Charlbury. The debris had fallen onto the track from a failed wing wall that was next to the line and formed part of a bridge carrying a local road over the railway.
The train was traveling at approximately 55 mph (89 km/h) at the time of the collision. Although the train sustained damage, it did not derail, and no injuries were reported among the train crew or passengers.
Initially, Network Rail reopened the line on Sunday, February 12th, but it was closed again after a few hours. The line remained closed for an additional nine days while an adjacent embankment was stabilized.
An investigation has been launched to identify the events that led to this accident. The investigation will take into account the history of the structure, including any modifications made to the affected wing wall and any repair work that was undertaken. Additionally, the findings of inspections conducted on the structure and the responses to these inspections will be considered.
Furthermore, a report of cracking in the road approaching the structure on the adjacent embankment was made before the failure occurred. As a result, this will also be included in the investigation’s scope. Finally, any underlying management factors that could have contributed to the incident will be examined.
It is important to note that this investigation is independent of any inquiry conducted by the railway industry or the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
