Rail crash fears on Connex train

A Connex train went through a red signal risking a derailment, it was revealed today.

It happened just outside Cannon Street station and a derailment was prevented only because track points were set in a particular way, investigators said.

Railtrack has now classified the signal passed at danger (Spad) as a Category A incident - the most dangerous type where there is risk of collision or derailment.

It is at least the fourth serious Spad involving a Connex train this year. Both Connex, which runs London's most crowded commuter routes, and Railtrack have launched a full investigation.

The incident happened as the 2.20pm Hayes to Cannon Street train went through the red signal just outside the mainline station and continued into platform four - passing over a set of points.

A Railtrack report states that had the points been in the normal position "then a collision (used in this case as a general term for an incident) would have occurred".

The driver reported that the signal was displaying a single yellow light, which would have given clearance to pass through, and not a red.

Railtrack engineers, however, tested the equipment immediately after the incident, which happened last Saturday, but could find nothing wrong. The investigation will centre on why the signal was showing red if the points were set in the train's favour to enter the platform, which was empty.

For the signal to be red - as has been confirmed after examination of the trains "black box" recorder - it would be expected that the points would have been set against the train. Had they not been, there would have been no reason for the signal to be red.

A Connex spokeswoman said: "The train was going slowly. Had the points not been set in its favour it would have smashed them and there would have been a horrible noise - but it would not have derailed." An industry source, however-said: "If a train goes over a set of points not set in its favour then of course there is the risk of a derailment."

Three weeks ago it was revealed that a Connex train passed through a red signal near Dartford risking a collision with another service travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver - who told investigators that he had not been paying attention - realised what he had done and hit the brakes.

An official report into the incident, which happened at a junction, stated that there was a "danger of collision" if the driver had not brought the train to a halt.

It happened close to where two rush- hour hour trains were involved in a horrifying near-miss in October, stopping only 200 yards apart. That took place when a train which had just left Dartford bound for Victoria went through a red light.

In June two Connex evening commuter trains came within seconds of a head-on collision after the eight-carriage 3.44pm Faversham to Victoria train went through the red light at St Mary Cray junction near Bromley South.

Earlier this year two trains collided just outside Hither Green after one went through a red during the height of the morning peak.

The 8.08am Crayford to Cannon Street ran into the back of the 7.58 am Sevenoaks to Cannon Street - the Sevenoaks service was found to be at fault.