Glasgow Bellgrove rail accident

Glasgow Bellgrove rail crash
Date 6 March 1989 (1989-03-06)
Location near Bellgrove, Glasgow
Country Scotland
Rail line North Clyde Line
(Strathclyde Passenger Transport)
Operator Regional Railways
Cause Signal Passed At Danger
Statistics
Trains 2
Deaths 2
List of UK rail accidents by year

On 6 March 1989 two Class 303 commuter trains crashed on the Springburn branch of the North Clyde Line, just east of Bellgrove station in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland. "Driver Mr. Hugh Kennan, aged 62 of Maryhill, and passenger Mr. Robert McCaffrey, aged 58, a retired rail worker from Scotstoun, died in the crash and 53 people were injured" ("Crash Inquiry is Told of Train Driver's Last Shout").

The accident was of a type known as "ding-ding, and away"; caused primarily by a Signal passed at danger (SPAD) in conjunction with the single-lead junction track layout, where two lines converged into one just beyond the platform end and then diverged again – a layout which is simpler to maintain but is vulnerable in the event of a SPAD. This type of junction has been implicated in other accidents, notably to the south east of Glasgow in the Newton rail accident just a couple of years later. The collision was at 80mph as both trains were travelling at 40mph. The force of the impact was so severe that at least one passenger was thrown out his seat and completely destroyed one of the "A" frame back to back seats.

References

Coordinates: 55°51′23″N 4°13′12″W / 55.85639°N 4.22000°W / 55.85639; -4.22000


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