The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has revealed its preliminary investigation findings after a mobile elevating work platform crashed near Rochford.
At around 10:57 hrs on Saturday 25 January 2020, a mobile elevating work platform was travelling at about nine mph when it collided with another platform, which was stationary, on the railway between Rochford and Southend Airport stations.
The machine had travelled over 150 metres at around ten mph before the collision. At the time, the railway was closed to normal traffic, and the two machines were part of the equipment that was being used to renew the overhead electrical power lines.
There were two people in the stationary platform, who were thrown against the railings of the platform’s basket and suffered from severe bruising and back injuries.
The single person in the moving MEWP was unhurt. Both machines were slightly damaged.
![[NWR] Kent and South East London railway renewed](https://www.railadvent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NWR-Kent-and-South-East-London-railway-renewed.jpg)
- The arrangements for managing the movement of the MEWPs, including the planning and organisation of the work that was taking place
- The management of the competence of machine operators and controllers
- The braking performance of the MEWP
- Any underlying factors.
The RAIB investigation is separate to that of the Office of Rail and Road.
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So the work platforms collided into each other as one of the platforms was travelling at 9mph (14km/h) and the other platform was stationary. Was it due to brakes not working properly and there was a brake failure or was it one of the workers who didn’t brake and somehow smashed into the stationary platform. Whilst replacing overhead wires on the Southend Victoria line.