Seminar on Rail Technology Rail Safety Roderick A Smith Future Rail Research Centre Imperial College

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Seminar on Rail TechnologyRail
SafetyRoderick A SmithFuture Rail Research
CentreImperial College London

• Wednesday 27th September 2006

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Accidents do not happen by accident

Sir Herbert Walker, 1927
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Response to accidents

• Sonning 24 Dec 1841
• 3rd class passengers killed when thrown out of an
  open truck. In 1844 Gladstones railway Act
  introduced the Parliamentary Train
  
• Armagh 12 June 1889
• Runaway train, 80 (children) killed. Within 12
  weeks, Regulation of Railways Act, required the
  introduction of block system, interlocking of
  signals and points, and fitting of continuous and
  automatic brakes.

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One reason for improvement
After each new horror, the causes which led to
the disaster are anxiously investigated by
ingenious men, new appliances are invented, new
precautions are imposed, a greater and more
watchful care is inculcated. Charles Francis Ada
ms, 1879
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Historical decline in accidents

• In 1890, 6,335 people were killed in American
  railroad accidents
  
• This total about twice the number of passengers
  killed throughout the history of railways in
  Britain
  
• (6700 were killed in UK road accidents in 1929!)
• There has been a continuous increase in safety
  and decline in accidents in all modes of transport

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Railway Safety Legislation

• Regulation of Railways Acts, 1840,42,71
• Established Railway Inspectorate, from Corps of
  Royal Engineers (lasted 150 years)
  
• Persuasive powers, accident inquiries
• 1889, Lock, Block, Brake by Act of Parliament
• 1901, 1908, no passengers killed

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The role of management
The full responsibility does not rest on the
unfortunate or careless subordinate nor should
the weight of punishment be visited upon him. It
belongs elsewhere. Charles Francis Adams, 1879
.
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DoT, Transport Trends 2005, DoT, National
Travel Survey, 2005
Personal data
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RSSB Annual Safety Performance Report 2005
Key headlines There were no passenger or workf
orce fatalities in train accidents during the
year. Five members of the workforce died in
accidents in the trackside environment.
Eight passengers died in accidents at stations
. Alcohol was a contributory factor in five of
the cases. 95 of fatalities that occurred t
o members of the public were due to suicide
(including cases of suspected suicide) and
trespass. Of the 13 public fatalities not due to
these causes, the majority occurred at level
crossings. http//www.rssb.co.uk/
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• Key headlines (continued)
• The behaviour of road users at level crossings
  remains a
  
• significant issue in relation to the risk from
  train accidents.
  
• The number of potentially higher risk train
  accidents
  
• reduced by 19.
• The SSP objective to reduce the risk from
  signals passed
  
• at danger (SPADs) by 70 of the March 2001
  baseline
  
• level was achieved in April 2005.
• By the end of the year, SPAD risk had been
  reduced by 87.
  

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Supports the conclusion that privatisation
has not adversely affected safety
But is this the whole picture?
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Derailment of High-Speed train at Hatfield, 17 Oc
t 2000 The most traumatic and expensive accid
ent in UK
railway history?
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Hatfield Nov 2000
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High - speed derailment, Ealing 24 Nov 2002, no
injuries
Fishplate which had failed by fatigue, tripped
a bogie.
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Perception is truth, because people believe it
Epictetus, Roman slave philosopher 1st Cen
tury AD

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Ealing derailment

• Train derails as wheels come off (The Guardian,
  Nov 26 2002)
  
• 450 people escaped potential catastrophe
  (Railnews, March 2003)
  
• The fishplate, renewed in July 2002, had broken
  by fatigue, and become detached and lodged in the
  nose of the crossover of some points
  
• The train halted after a passenger pulled the
  alarm

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In terms of safety management, the direct changes
that present a challenge to the industry include
Changing usage patterns and user demographics.
Climate change and the environment. T
hird party and passenger behaviour.
Technological changes and asset performance.
Governmental transport policy.
European regulation.
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Immediate cause, overspeed on curve. Raised m
any questions Driver training. Strict schedule.
Competition with adjacent line. Crashworthiness.
ATC.
Accident at Amagasaki, Osaka, 15 May 2005. 107 f
atalities.
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It must, however, be borne in mind, that in
endeavouring to guard against every danger,
one can buy gold too dear for if every
possible known precaution is to be taken, regard
less of cost, it may not pay to work the railway
at all John Barry Wolfe, Railway Appliances, 1
876.
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A railway, like a vast machine, the wheels of
which are connected with each other, and whose
movement requires a certain harmony, can not be w
orked by a number of independent agents. Such
a system would speedily be attended by self
destruction. The organisation of a railway req
uires unity of direction and harmony of movement
, which can only be attained by the combination
of the entire carrying business with
the general administration of the road.
D Lardner, Railway Economics, London, 1851, pp 4
21-2 Quoted in The Railway Journey, W Schivelbusc
h, Berg, Leamington Spa, UK, 1986. P27.m ( orig
inally, Geshichte der Eisenbahnreise, Verlag,
Munich, 1977.)
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Mr. Darling (Transport Minister) said that the
way the railways were privatised had led to f
ragmentation, excessive complication and
dysfunctionality compounded by the problems ca
used by decades of underinvestment. 19/01/04
reported in The Guardian, 20/01/04
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Signal safety depends on the vigilance of the dr
iver.
Automatic Warning System (AWS)
sounds a bell Signals passed at danger (SPADs)
are a problem New system, TPWS, Train Protecti
on and Warning System, applies the brakes
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Position of contact in normal running
Movement to gauge corner produces higher contact
stresses
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The British Rail Crashworthiness Programme

• Major studies as a result of Clapham
• Structural design
• Energy absorption at coach ends (2MJ)
• Materials, geometry and joints
• Role of testing and modelling
• HSE contribution anti-overriding
• Prompted research overseas

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Sandy, England, 17 June 1998, broken wheel causes
Intercity 225 to derail at 160 kph, no
fatalities. Fatigue crack in wheel caused by
drilled balance weight hole.
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Direction of motion
5 to 15 mm
25 mm
Whilst under the influence of the contact stress
field, the crack propagates at a shallow angle of
15 o
The crack turns down to an angle of 70 o when
controlled by the bulk stresses
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Safety is paramountAlistair Darling, Transport
Secretary

• After 2 previous failures of bolts, inspection
  every 5 days. Bolts which failed inspected 2 days
  before accident
  
• Estimated costs to date
• London Underground, 40m, including 12m lost
  revenue
  
• Retailers 25m/week, 250m so far
• Extra time and stress to commuters?
• Are delays due to part-privatisation plans?

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