Stratford tube crash

The Stratford tube crash occurred on 8 April 1953, on the Central line of the London Underground. 12 people died and 46 were injured as a result of a rear-end collision in a tunnel, caused by driver error after a signal failure. This was the worst accident involving trains on the London Underground until the Moorgate tube crash in 1975. A similar accident at exactly the same location, with less serious consequences, occurred in 1946, before the line was open for public traffic; one railwayman died.

A memorial plaque to the accident was unveiled at Stratford Station on 8 April 2016 by Lyn Brown, Member of Parliament for West Ham. Members of the families of those killed in the crash were also in attendance along with Mike Brown, TfL Transport Commissioner.

Collision

A signal (A491) in the tunnel between Stratford and Leyton had been damaged, and this and the preceding signal (A489) were showing a permanent red aspect. Trains were being worked slowly past the failed signals under the "Stop and Proceed" rule, under which trains should proceed with extreme caution, typically less than 10 mph (16 km/h). However, one train collided with the back of another which was waiting at signal A491, and the first and second coaches of the colliding train were partially telescoped.

Investigation

The Inspecting Officer considered that the extent of the damage suggested the speed was in the region of 15–20 mph (24–32 km/h), and when the driver had passed signal A489, he had simply coasted down the steep down gradient, not expecting to find another train before the next signal. The driver claimed to have been travelling slowly and that his vision had been obscured by a cloud of dust, but it was felt his memory could have been affected by concussion.

References

• Railways Archive account, including official Accident Report
• Railways Archive account and Accident Report of 1946 accident
• Rolt, L.T.C.; Kichenside, Geoffrey M. (1982) [1955]. Red for Danger (4th ed.). Newton Abbot: David and Charles. pp. 281–282. ISBN 0-7153-8362-0.