UPDATE 22:45: A spokesperson from the BTP has confirmed that a number of people are injured, but thankfully, no one has died.
Rail operators have advised that all trains through Salisbury are cancelled until the end of service on Tuesday 2nd November 2021
Wiltshire Police have released a statement regarding an ongoing incident near Salisbury this evening.
Information is currently scarce, and we are awaiting more information from official sources.
Officers are continuing to respond to the incident at Fisherton Tunnel. A number of people have been injured, but thankfully no one has died.
Updates will continue to be shared here.— British Transport Police (@BTP) October 31, 2021
An Office of Rail and Road spokesperson said: “We're supporting Network Rail and the train operators, plus RAIB and the British Transport Police, with respect to the collision between two trains near Salisbury Tunnel Junction and liaising with emergency services responding to the incident.”
A spokesperson for Great Western Railway has said that emergency services are attending an incident at Fisherton Tunnel near Salisbury.
They have confirmed that the 1708 Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads and the 1720 South Western Railway service between London Waterloo and Honiton are involved.
The BTP have confirmed at 20:40 that a casualty centre has been set up at St Marks Church in Salisbury.
The Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue have said that 50 firefighters are in attendance this evening working alongside police and ambulance on this ‘major incident'. The NPAS Air Ambulance have two aircraft in attendance.
However, all trains between Westbury and Southampton Central are all cancelled, and are expected to remain this way until end of service on Monday 1st November.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police has said that they are “currently at the scene of a train crash involving two trains between Andover and Salisbury.”
The RAIB said in a statement: “RAIB is deploying inspectors to the site of a collision between two trains near Salisbury Tunnel Junction. On arrival they will commence a preliminary examination of the scene.”
The British Transport Police has said “We are currently responding to an incident at Fisherton Tunnel, Salisbury. Officers were called at 6.46pm this evening following reports a train derailed. We are on scene alongside paramedics and the fire brigade. Further updates will be shared here.”
— Great Western Railway (@GWRHelp) October 31, 2021
This is an evolving story and more information will be shared as soon as it is made available.
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On the Salisbury accident looking at the photos, with the points set for the SOU train, and comparing timetables, it would appear that the S-C train was 16 minutes late with the points not reset for the later Ex Waterloo train, which appeared to be on time with platform arrival at 18:42.
Thus the Sou train had not cleared the points before the Waterloo train ploughed. This train being on the left track seemingly was derailed and moved across the points to the right hand track and dragged along the right surface of the tunnel bricks and the remaining SOU train.
So the master problem would appear to be that the Waterloo train should have stopped at the track some distance from the tunnel, until the delayed SOU train had eventually cleared ?