London North Eastern Railway is working with Network Rail and Freightliner to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Great Heck train crash, which happened near Selby back in 2001.
The memorial will be held from 10 am on Sunday 28th February 2021.
Back on the 28th February 2001, a GNER InterCity 225 (Class 91 91023 + 82221) hit a Land Rover which had left the M62. This caused the train to derail and went into the path of Freightliner train, hauled by 66521.
Both train drivers and 8 others sadly died in the crash, 82 others were seriously injured, meaning it remains the worst UK rail disaster in the 21st century.
The event will be broadcasted from Great Heck and Newcastle, where LNER will be laying wreaths, giving readings and pausing as an LNER train passes Great Heck and sounds its horn in dedication to those who lost their lives.
If you would like to watch the online memorial, please visit the LNER EventBrite event page.
Additionally, a live stream from Selby Abbey, led by Canon John Weetman, Vicar of Selby Abbey and the Reverend Peter Hibbs will see a candle lit for each of those who died. If you would like a link to this, please email GH20Memorial@gmail.com.
Finally, LNER will be sharing messages of condolence on their website. If you would like to write a few words, please visit the LNER website for details, and the train operator will share these in the days following the memorial.
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Such a tragic rail accident on the East Coast Main Line.
I’m so surprised that it’s coming up to exactly 20 Years on from that very day of that unexpected High-Speed Rail Crash at Great Heck, nr Selby.
My heart still goes out to the familes of those, of whom unexpectedly lost their lives beyond existence.
Since then, LNER now run & roam the ECML, of which indeed passes through Great Heck, let alone the exact spot that Fatal High-Speed Derailment Occured 2 Decades On.
I was a Senior Conductor on Gner and Ray was a great friend and I was at 3 funerals in 1 week and I was proud to be a pal bearer for Raymond’s funeral.Later on I worked on the the link what was the same as Ray’s 4.30 train to London KX