Ceremony marks 35 years since Clapham Junction rail disaster

It's 35 years to the day since the Clapham Junction rail disaster claimed the lives of 35 people.

To commemorate the event, rail industry partners laid wreaths and held a two-minutes silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the south-west London train crash.  The disaster unfolded at 08:10 as three trains collided on their approach to the station, the result of faulty wiring in the signalling system.

Network Rail representatives joined colleagues from South Western Railway and rail unions ASLEF and the RMT at the Spencer Park memorial site.  The annual service of remembrance was also attended by relatives who lost loved ones in the incident.

Later in the day a ‘lessons learnt' talk was held, hosted by Network Rail and Siemens Mobility. The event, which took place at Network Rail's Wessex Delivery Unit (WDU) shared technical briefings as well as interactive sessions which also took place at nine other locations across the UK.  Matters under discussion included the reasons why the disaster had such a big impact on the rail industry, how it happened, what has been learnt as a result of the crash and what can be done to prevent similar incidents taking place in the future.  Representatives from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and the Rail Safety and Standards Board were also present.

Plans are also being put in place for a series of signalling events around the region in spring next year.  Those events will discuss what can be learnt from all relevant incidents, thus minimising the possibilities of future disasters from taking place.

Matt Pocock, Network Rail's Wessex route director, said: “Today is a really important day for the rail industry across the country as we come together to remember those who sadly lost their lives in the Clapham rail crash, 35 years ago. The railway serves millions of customers every year and our priority is to always keep customers moving and get them to where they need to be safely.

“Days like today are important for us to continue having open discussions to reflect on what lessons we have learnt as an industry and how we can continue moving forward to prioritise customer and colleague safety and prevent incidents like this ever happening again. Our thoughts are forever with the families who lost loved ones as well as the survivors and those who were injured during the horrific incident that took place 35 years ago.”

Claire Mann, South Western Railway's managing director, added: “We're very grateful to our colleagues for organising today's commemoration and to those from the wider railway family who came together in remembrance.  Today is a day to remember the 35 people who tragically lost their lives, to think about their families, and to recognise the efforts of all those who played a part in the rescue and recovery operation on Monday 12 December 1988.”

Rob Morris, Siemens Mobility's joint CEO and managing director of rail infrastructure and software UKI, said: “It is heart-warming to know there is such a diverse representation, with individuals ranging from apprentices to CEOs, standing united in our pursuit for zero harm. Safety is not a rhetoric for us; it is the foundation upon which our operations are built, and these industry events are proof of that.”

Andy Lewis, deputy chief inspector at RAIB, noted: “The Clapham accident was a tragedy. Events like today's help us remember the dreadful impact of this accident and those lost, but also the considerable amount of safety learning and change that came as a result. The RAIB is pleased to be able to participate today so that the railway continues to learn the lessons of the past.”