Train driver fell asleep before crashing at London station, investigation finds
The investigation found that a train collided with buffers at London Bridge station after its driver fell asleep at the controls.
The low-speed incident occurred at 15.45 on December 13 last year.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) found that the Southern Railway driver was experiencing “intermediate sleep due to fatigue”.
It was stated that the driver, whose name was not disclosed, slept less than usual due to child care and worked frequently on rest days, increasing the risk of fatigue.
The train was traveling at just 2.3 miles per hour when it hit the buffers upon reaching platform 12.
Minor damage to train and rail infrastructure occurred, but no injuries were reported.
Analysis of the onboard data recorder shows that the train was traveling at 13.3 miles per hour when it entered the platform and gradually reduced its speed.
When the train approached three and a half meters from the buffers, the driver pulled the emergency brake, but it was too late to avoid a collision.
RAIB said she normally stayed in bed until 9am before starting work in the early afternoon, but had to get up at 7.30am on the morning of the accident due to “unexpected changes to childcare arrangements at home”.
Investigators noted that the driver recalled feeling “tested” when the train stopped at Crystal Palace station 26 minutes before the incident and understanding the “need to stay focused and alert”.
The report added: “The driver felt able to continue the journey despite being aware that they were feeling tired.”
He was scheduled for 12 rest days in the 22 days before the accident, but worked nine of them.
Many train operators rely on drivers volunteering for paid extra shifts to run scheduled services.
The investigation also stated that since the train was traveling below the minimum speed at which it intervened, none of the protection systems installed on the train prevented it from hitting the bumpers.
Other safety systems were unable to detect “a brief loss of driver attention,” the report said.
The RAIB has recommended that Southern Railway’s parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) improve its fatigue management process.
Samantha Facey, GTR’s director of safety, health and security, said: “Safety is always our number one priority and we are committed to learning from each incident to improve our safety standards for our employees and customers.
“We are committed to ensuring our staff are fit and alert while at work.
“In August, we updated and enhanced our fatigue risk management standard to help us manage fatigue more effectively, including staff reports on fatigue.
“We have also established stronger working groups with staff representatives and now use sound scientific modeling to plan staff shifts so we can detect and prevent fatigue before it becomes a risk.
“This is all part of our ongoing efforts to meet the recommendations in the RAIB report and keep our passengers and staff safe.”
