The Transport Secretary has paid tribute to the driver who lost his life in last week’s fatal collision between two East Midlands Railway trains, as the rail industry begins the lengthy process of investigating the incident and restoring services on the Midland Main Line.
Addressing Parliament, the Secretary of State described the collision near Elstow, Bedford, on Friday 19 June as “news no Transport Secretary ever wants to deliver” and urged against speculation while the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) carries out its independent investigation.
The collision occurred at approximately 17:15 when the 16:40 East Midlands Railway service from Corby to London St Pancras struck the rear of the stationary 15:50 Nottingham to London St Pancras service.
Emergency services, railway staff and investigators were on site within minutes, with passengers evacuated and recovery operations beginning immediately. By 23:00 all passengers had been safely removed from the scene.
The Secretary of State confirmed that East Midlands Railway driver Shaun Burton was killed in the collision. His family have requested privacy.
According to the latest information from British Transport Police, at least 33 people were taken to hospital, with around a third sustaining serious injuries. A further 56 passengers received treatment at the scene, while several injured passengers remain in a critical condition.
Industry praises emergency response
The response from emergency services and railway staff has been widely praised by ministers and industry leaders alike.
The Secretary of State highlighted the coordinated efforts of Fire and Rescue Services, ambulance crews, Bedfordshire Police, British Transport Police, the National Police Air Service, railway employees and the RAIB.
British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi reportedly described the cooperation between agencies as the best she had witnessed during her career.
The Secretary of State also praised the actions of local residents who provided stranded passengers with water, the Salvation Army for supporting those at the scene, station staff across the route who assisted disrupted travellers, and an injured EMR train manager who radioed to close the railway immediately after the collision while checking on passengers.
Investigation continues
The RAIB has launched an independent investigation, with inspectors arriving on site within hours of the collision. An initial update is expected shortly, although ministers stressed that investigators alone will determine the cause of the accident.
“I am determined we get all the answers we’re looking for and that lessons are learned,” the Transport Secretary told MPs.
The Department for Transport confirmed it will continue working closely with the RAIB, British Transport Police, Network Rail, East Midlands Railway and the Office of Rail and Road throughout the investigation.
The Rail Minister has also spoken with the general secretaries of both ASLEF and the RMT, alongside MPs representing constituencies affected by the disruption.
Recovery operation underway
With evidence now gathered from the scene, attention has turned towards one of the most complex railway recovery operations undertaken in recent years.
Network Rail has begun lifting the damaged trains before engineers can fully assess the condition of the infrastructure, including track, signalling equipment and overhead line equipment.
Network Rail: “Determined to fully understand why”
Ellie Burrows, Regional Managing Director for Network Rail’s Eastern region, said the organisation remained fully committed to supporting investigators.
“Following the publication of the investigation update from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, we are fully committed to working as an industry to support the continuing investigation to understand exactly what happened.
“We are deeply sorry that this has happened on our railway, and our thoughts remain with all those affected, particularly those passengers who were badly injured and the loved ones of driver Shaun Burton, who so tragically lost his life.
“Incidents like this are extremely rare on Britain’s railways which remain among the safest in the world but, when they do happen, we are determined to fully understand why.”
She added that Network Rail would continue cooperating fully with both the RAIB and the Office of Rail and Road, acting quickly on any recommendations that emerge.
Mark Budden, Network Rail’s East Midlands Route Director, described the recovery as a highly planned and sensitive operation.
He explained that engineers had first needed to construct an access road and install a reinforced concrete crane platform before lifting operations could begin.
Each damaged carriage will be removed individually to avoid causing further damage to the railway before engineers can inspect and repair the infrastructure.
“The time it takes for the lifting operations and the preparation work has caused significant disruption to passengers,” Budden acknowledged.
“But it’s absolutely essential that we do that carefully and professionally so we’re able to reopen the railway safely.”
EMR pays tribute to colleague
East Midlands Railway Managing Director Will Rogers led tributes to driver Shaun Burton. He said: “Following the publication of investigation update from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), we are fully committed to working as an industry to support the continuing investigation.
“We are deeply sorry that this has happened on our railway. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences remain with those affected, particularly EMR driver Shaun Burton, who tragically lost his life.
“While any incident like this is extremely serious, Britain’s railway remains one of the safest in the world, with fatal accidents extremely rare relative to the 1.7 billion journeys made each year. Independent comparisons continue to rank the network among the safest in Europe.
“Given the complexity of the issues being examined, it is important that the independent investigation is allowed to reach its conclusions. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment on specific findings or speculate on the circumstances surrounding the accident before all of the evidence has been examined.
“We will continue to cooperate fully with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and await the findings of the final report before commenting further.
“Our focus remains on supporting those affected by the incident, while continuing to work with the relevant authorities and carefully considering any recommendations identified through the investigation process.
“We will do everything we can to ensure this never happens again.”
Safety remains the industry’s priority
While acknowledging the severity of the incident, the Transport Secretary emphasised that Britain’s railway continues to be among the safest in the world.
The collision has nonetheless sent shockwaves through the industry and serves as a stark reminder that, despite an exceptionally strong safety record, continuous vigilance remains essential.
