Printed for the Cabinet. December 1955
Page 316
CONFIDENTIAL
C.P. (55) 213
30th December, 1955
CABINET
Copy No. 57
RAILWAY SAFETY
MEMORANDUM BY THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND CIVIL AVIATION
I think the Cabinet would like to have the following facts about railway safety in front of them.
are:
2. The railway accidents which have caused the present public disquiet
Casualties
Date
Place
Circumstances of accident
20th November
Milton, near Didcot
11
Killed Injured
163
Derailment while crossing to
diversion route.
24th November
Near Garston
1st December
Bromley-by-Bow
2nd December
Barnes
22nd December
Hellifield
5
35
13
21
2
22nd December
Luton
1
23
23rd December ...
Woking
10
Derailment.
Electric train got out of control while coasting into station during power failure.
Electric passenger train ran into back of stationary freight train; fire followed.
Steam passenger train ran into back of stationary steam passenger train on main London-Scotland line (in station).
Express steam passenger train ran into back of stationary steam express train (in station).
Steam passenger train ran into
back of electric train standing at signal outside station.
3. Full technical enquiries are being held on all these accidents and the findings will, of course, be published. A preliminary examination of the facts shows that, with the one minor exception of Garston, the one common thread running through all these accidents is human error either by signalmen or drivers.
4. Comparative figures of killed for 1955 are—
For the roads up to the end of November: 4,796.
For the railways up to date: 59 (39 of whom were passengers).
1955 compared with 1954 on the railways is as follows:-
1954: 15 (none were passengers).
1955: 59 (39 passengers).
Average 1946-50: 61 (35 passengers).
Average 1951-54: 63 (44 passengers). (This average includes the
Harrow accident when 108 people were killed.)
All this compares with over 5,000 killed every year on the roads.
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