The driver who died following a train crash in Bedford had passed a red signal moments before the collision, accident investigators have said.
Shaun Burton, 60, was killed instantly when the Luton Airport Express he was driving ploughed into another East Midlands Railway train.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said in an interim report that Mr Burton’s train proceeded past a red signal near the scene of the crash in Elstow, near Bedford at 5.15pm on Friday.
It added that ‘it is not yet possible to say what indication the driver received’ from automatic warning system (AWS) equipment fitted to the train.
Some 162 people were injured, 102 of whom needed hospital treatment.
Fifty-three remain in hospital, including eight in a critical condition.
Driver Shaun Burton died in the crash between the two trains in Bedford on Friday afternoon
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has thanked investigators after an interim report into Friday’s train crash was published, as she vowed to ‘leave no stone unturned to understand what happened’.
She said: ‘My deepest sympathies remain with everyone affected by Friday’s tragic collision, and in particular with the family of the driver who lost his life and those who remain in hospital. My heartfelt thanks go to every person who responded so bravely and professionally in the most difficult of circumstances.
‘I want to thank the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) for providing an update on their investigation so far, which will help us begin to understand the sequence of events that led to the incident. The report makes clear there is still much to establish, and the full investigation will provide the answers and recommendations everyone affected deserves.
‘Our railway is one of the safest in the world, and while incidents like this are incredibly rare, when they do occur we will leave no stone unturned to understand what happened. The RAIB will publish their full report in due course and I will consider those findings with the utmost care and take any action necessary.
‘Until then I ask the RAIB be given the space to complete their work thoroughly and speculation is avoided so we can establish the full picture and ensure the right steps are taken in response.’
This is a breaking news story and is being updated.
