Train driver killed in Bedford crash named as family pay tribute | Rail transport
Police have released the name of the driver who died in the Bedford train crash on Friday as his family paid tribute to him.
British Transport police said Shaun Burton, 60, was the East Midlands Railway driver killed in a collision on the Bedford to Luton line that injured 100 people.
Two trains collided on the suburban line on Friday afternoon.
Burton’s family said in a statement on Sunday: “We are deeply saddened by his loss. Our thoughts are with those affected by this incident.”
Train drivers’ union ASLEF also paid tribute to Burton. General Secretary Dave Calfe described him as “dedicated to his job, loyal to his colleagues and extremely popular in his depot”.
He continued: “Shaun, a train driver for the East Midlands Railway, joined the railway relatively late. He loved public transport – working on buses and coaches – before becoming a train driver seven years ago… The railway family are saddened to hear of his passing; no-one should go to work in the morning and come home. Our thoughts are with his family and friends tonight.”
Earlier on Sunday, Network Rail said it expected major disruption to the rail line to continue for at least another week.
In a statement describing impacts on some services up to June 28, the rail authority said the disaster was a “tragic, isolated incident”.
Engineers are working to remove electrical cables above the track and build a temporary access road to the crash site.
This will allow two 110-tonne cranes to be used to lift damaged trains and carriages onto trailers for road removal, allowing engineers to assess any damage to the track and complete any necessary repairs.
As a result, the line between Bedford and Luton will remain closed for the remainder of the week, with a limited rail replacement bus service operating instead. There will be no service between Bedford and London St Pancras station.
A limited service will run from St Pancras north to Luton from Monday, but there will be no service north of Luton on the busy suburban Thameslink line. Luton airport express services have been canceled and a rail replacement bus will operate between Luton airport and Luton.
Investigations into the crash are ongoing, but Network Rail’s eastern managing director Ellie Burrows said “current indications are that this is a tragic isolated incident.”
He said work to derail two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains was being carried out quickly.
“This is a complex and challenging task and our teams will work tirelessly to reopen the railway so we can restart services between Bedford and London,” he said.
Travelers should “expect disruptions to services in this area for much of the next week and only travel if absolutely necessary”.
More than 80 passengers were treated in hospital Friday night. As of Saturday morning, 28 people were still hospitalized, nine of whom were in critical condition.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said on Saturday that its investigators were continuing to collect evidence at the scene, just south of the Elstow junction between the A421 and the A6.
“RAIB will conduct a full and independent safety investigation into this tragic accident,” the agency said in a post on X. “We will provide further updates in the coming days once we learn more.”
Specialist investigators from British Transport Police are working with RAIB investigators to establish what happened and members of the public have been asked to avoid speculation.
The trains in question were from Corby to St Pancras at 16.40 on Friday and from Nottingham to the same destination at 15.50.
The front of the Corby train was crushed when it crashed into the rear of the Nottingham train, and it also sustained damage to its rear carriages as it was diverted into the front carriages.
British Transport Police chief Lucy D’Orsi said people in Bedfordshire “showed great kindness to those trapped and injured on trains”.
An Elstow man, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had a full view of the crash scene from a friend’s son’s home. “There were a lot of people throwing water and food over the fence. They did everything they could to help these people,” he said.
Network Rail has said that despite the Midland main line being closed at Bedford, train operators will accept tickets on any alternative route for affected EMR customers. If customers decide to travel with EMR after the line is reopened, transfer tickets purchased from other operators will also be valid on that day.
Trip planning applications and websites, changes in timeline Network Rail said it could take several hours to do this, however. Customers are advised to check live travel updates before traveling.
