A severely injured train driver was rushed to hospital today following a tense two-hour operation to free him from his cabin after he became trapped when his train collided with a fallen footbridge.
An engineering works tipper truck had struck the bridge on the Midland Main Line, sending it crashing onto the line below. Though an emergency alert was sent to all trains in the area the 6.13am Nottingham to Norwich service was too close to stop in time and ploughed into the wreckage that lay in its path.
Rescue workers struggled to free the driver, who had become trapped when the solid steel front of the cabin caved in over his legs and pelvis. Suffering injuries to the lower leg and abdomen, he was raced to Leicester Royal Infirmary, where he was later said to be in a serious but stable condition.
Speaking at the scene of the crash, Leicester Fire and Rescue Service worker Andy Dermott said the operation had been an intricate and laborious one.
“It was a long, slow, painstaking extraction in a difficult, confined space. The ridged construction of the train is not designed for that.
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“We had to slowly pull all that back, having a regard for the driver’s injuries,” he added.
The driver was said to be conscious throughout the operation.
When asked if he would have had a chance to stop the train, Mr Dermott said: “It was still dark. I would imagine he came through at quite a speed.
“The full force of hitting the over bridge, which is solid cast iron, had caused the front of the cabin to cave in over the legs and pelvis of the driver.”
The driver of the tipper, also trapped in his cab, was released after a 20 to 30 minute operation with moderate injuries. He too was taken to hospital along with four out of the six passengers onboard the train, who required minor treatment.
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The train was later described as “upright”.
The incident – near Barrow Old Station in Barrow upon Soar, near Loughborough, Leicestershire at 6.32am – brought chaos to commuters, with East Midlands Trains announcing severe disruptions to all services.
The blockage paralysed the Midland Main Line north of Leicester, which was likely to be closed for the rest of today.
A special train service was operating between Leicester and London St Pancras, while replacement bus services were running between Loughborough and Leicester. Other train operators were accepting tickets from East Midlands Trains passengers.
Passengers in Derby were able to take the Arriva Cross Country train to London and those in Nottingham could reach London via the east coast mainline.
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A spokesman for Network Rail said: “An emergency stop message was sent to all trains in the area but the 6.13 Nottingham to Norwich service with six passengers on board was unable to stop and struck the bridge.”
A spokeswoman for East Midlands Trains said: “We are providing some road transport in the Leicester, Loughborough, Derby and Nottingham area. But it is a very limited service. We would advise passengers: do not travel unless you have to.”
East Midlands Trains operates express services between London St Pancras and the East Midlands and some local connecting services in the areas.
John Dennis, Communications Manager for the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: “Because the train was too near to be stopped by signalling, it ploughed into whatever debris there was.
“The train is upright. The passengers have been evacuated without injuries.”
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Mr Dennis added: “There is no estimate on when normal services will resume, but clearly it will take a while.”
Rail Accident Investigation Branch inspectors were today conducting a preliminary examination at the scene and a technical assessment of the train was to follow.