A train avoided hitting track workers by two seconds in a “near miss” caused by location confusion, a safety investigation has found.

On 27 November 2024, passenger train 1Y97 was travelling at 78mph when it encountered three workers near Morton Junction on the Erewash Valley line, said the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).

A RAIB report said that CCTV showed the controller of site safety (COSS) and two workers moved clear of the track just two seconds before the train passed after the driver sounded its horn.

The group were preparing to correct a track fault and had “planned to work using line blockages” which stop train movements.

“The near miss occurred because the COSS unintentionally blocked a section of line at Codnor Park Junction, while the group were on-site at Morton Junction, around 7 miles (11.3 km) to the north, on the same route,” found the report.

Consequently, the section of track the six workers were on was still open to rail traffic.

At the time of the incident, the Up Erewash line heading south to Nottingham and the Down Erewash line heading north to Chesterfield were both open to traffic at speeds of up to 80 mph.

According to RAIB, “neither the signaller nor the COSS realised that the group was not at the location that was to be blocked by the protecting signals”.

Work at Morton Junction was initially scheduled for 27 November and at Codnor Park Junction for 28 November 2024, but difficulties obtaining line blockages at Morton Junction led to the decision to swap the two shifts over.

A safe work pack (SWP) had been unknowingly used for the other location, reported the COSS.

The workers – the COSS and five track staff – were employed by Network Rail as local maintenance staff for planned lifting and packing work on the railway.

At 7.26am, the train heading south towards Alfreton from Chesterfield station approached the workers standing in the path of the train.

The report said the workers were “obscured from the driver’s view” due to the train – driven by a trainee driver with an instructor – approaching around a curve and poor visibility caused by low light and heavy rain.

The COSS reported the near miss to the signaller at 7.28am, with the driver instructor reporting the same when the train arrived at Alfreton station at 7.29am.

At 7.31am, the signaller rang the COSS to lift the line blockage.

“It was at this point that the COSS realised that the signal numbers used related to Codnor Park Junction, not Morton Junction,” found the RAIB.

Investigators said: “Had the COSS used the SWP for this briefing, they would almost certainly have realised that the incorrect pack was being used before the group went on to the track.”

“The COSS gave protecting signal numbers and a named location, both of which were repeated back by the signaller. Despite this, the discrepancy between the protecting signals and the location was not noticed by the signaller, who granted the line blockage,” the report added.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “After the near miss at Morton Junction in November, an investigation was carried out, resulting in a number of actions and recommendations for improvement.

“A safety stand-down was held, with frontline staff being involved in discussions about the lessons learned.

“The safety of our colleagues, passengers and train crew is our top priority.”

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