King's Cross derailment
| Kings Cross accident | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 16 September 2003 |
| Location | Kings Cross, London |
| Country | England |
| Rail line | East Coast Main Line |
| Cause | Missing track/signalling fault |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
On 16 September 2003 a GNER express was derailed at just after 07:00hrs (BST) immediately after leaving Platform 4 at King's Cross station in London. The immediate cause of the accident was the routing of the train onto a length of track with a missing rail. The length of rail had been removed during maintenance work, as is permissible, but it should not have been possible for a train to be routed onto the section of track where the rail had been removed. This should have been prevented by setting the signalling system to block the move, an action which maintenance contractors had failed to carry out.
Significance
The significance of this accident was not in the accident itself, which was not serious, but in the political consequences for the private contractors, Jarvis plc, employed to maintain the track. The derailment did further damage to the company's reputation.
Liability for the 2002 Potters Bar rail crash and resulting settlements, as well as over-extended financial commitments, meant that Jarvis had to sell off large parts of its other transport holdings in 2004.
Finally, in early 2010 the company's secured lenders refused further support, which sent the business into administration.
See also
References
- BBC News - Faulty Points Derail Train
- Department for Transport - Jarvis's admission of responsibility
Coordinates: 51°32′01″N 0°07′23″W / 51.5337°N 0.1230°W
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