A MAJOR inquiry was launched this week after a train was derailed at Shap after being hit by another one during routine maintenance work.

The collision occurred as engineering works took place on the West Coast Main Line at the old railway station at Shap at 10.30pm on Saturday.

Network Rail confirmed a static train on the northbound line was shunted from behind by an engineering train, arriving in the area from Crewe.

Its unnamed driver, who is not from the Cumbria area, was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary Carlisle by ambulance, and was treated for severe shock but released on Sunday morning.

The investigation will consider all possible causes, such as signalling failure, brake failure, driver error and vandalism.

The key route was closed for more than 33 hours, leading to delays for rail travellers, although numbers were down over the weekend due to Easter, and the line had been subject to a closure while the work was being done.

On Sunday, a crane was sent to the scene to shift the stricken wagons and work had to begin on replacing or repairing 30 yards of damaged rail line and sleepers.

Overhead power lines were also affected by the incident.

The investigation has so far involved Network Rail, contractors Carillion, freight operators English Welsh and Scottish Railway, and the British Transport Police along with contributions from Her Majesty's Rail Inspectorate, attached to the Government's Health and Safety Executive.

Network Rail spokesman Keith Longley said: "The joint inquiry will gather all the evidence and then pass that to the HSE for it to decide what actions, if any, are necessary for either us, the contractors or the operators," said Mr Longley.

"It will take as long as it takes for us to gather all the evidence and all the facts."

The collision derailed six wagons of the static train, which was being used to renew the track as part of a major modernisation scheme on the West Coast Main Line.

One wagon ended up on its side and another was propelled down an embankment, while four wagons remained upright but skewed off the rails.

The impact of the collision saw the wagons block the southbound side of the West Coast Main Line.

Network Rail said the work was being carried out on its behalf by contractors Carillion, assisted by freight operators English, Welsh and Scottish Railway, headquartered in London.

EWS spokesman Graham Meiklejohn said the collision occurred at an "extremely low speed" and confirmed a "train had run into the back of another."

Allan McLean, of Virgin Rail, said 15 passenger services shuttling between London

and Glasgow had been affected.

Services were either diverted along the Settle to Carlisle line, adding an extra two hours to the journey, or bus services were laid on to Oxenholme and Penrith when northbound mainline trains were terminated at Preston or Lancaster, and southbound services at Carlisle.

Services were back to normal by Bank Holiday Monday, although passenger trains using the area were subject to a speed restriction.

Mr McLean said: "Easter Sunday is one of the quietest days of the year for long distance rail travel. Fewer people were inconvenienced than would have been the case on a normal Sunday."

Network Rail said it had chosen the Bank Holiday weekend to carry out the work because of the fewer numbers of travellers that used train services during the break.

Jean Jackson, chairwoman of Shap Parish Council, said: "Most people in Shap did not know it had happened until it was on television."

April 24, 2003 13:30