View source for Severn Tunnel rail accident

{{Short description|1991 train wreck in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox public transit accident
| name                = Severn Tunnel rail crash
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| coordinates         = {{Coord|51|35|7|N|2|43|17|W|type:event_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
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| date                = 7 December 1991
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| location            = [[Severn Tunnel]]
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| country             = [[United Kingdom]]
| line                = [[South Wales Main Line]]
| operator            = [[InterCity (British Rail)|InterCity]]<br>[[Regional Railways]]
| owner               = [[British Rail]]
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| type                =
| cause               = Axle counter failure or driver error
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| trains              = 2
| vehicles            = [[InterCity 125]]<br>[[British Rail Class 155|Class 155]]
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| deaths              = 0
| injuries            = 185 (5 serious)
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| footnotes           = [[List of rail accidents in the United Kingdom|List of UK rail accidents by year]]
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On 7 December 1991, two trains collided inside the [[Severn Tunnel]], between England and Wales. There were no fatalities but 185 passengers were injured.<ref name=":RM:">{{cite magazine|last1=Stephen|first1=Paul|title=Deep Impact|magazine=[[Rail (magazine)|Rail]]|date=7 December 2016|issue=815|pages=54–57|publisher=Bauer Media|location=Peterborough|issn=0953-4563}}</ref>
== Accident ==
The 08:30 [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] to [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff Central]] operated by an [[InterCity 125]] was stopped at a signal guarding the entrance to the Severn Tunnel. On telephoning the [[Signalman (rail)|signalman]] according to [[Rule 55]], the driver was advised of a signal failure and given permission to proceed slowly at caution. {{Convert|3|mi|round=0.5|spell=In}} into the tunnel, the train was struck from behind by a [[British Rail Class 155|Class 155 ''Sprinter'']] travelling from [[Portsmouth Harbour railway station|Portsmouth]] to Cardiff. 185 passengers were injured, including five seriously, but none fatally.<ref name=":RM:" />
Because [[track circuit]]s were unreliable in the unusually wet tunnel environment ({{Convert|10 to 20|e6impgal|e6l|abbr=off|round=5|disp=sqbr}} of water are pumped out per day),<ref name=report>{{cite book|last=Seymour| first=R.J.| title=Railway Accident in the Severn Tunnel| publisher=H.M. Railway Inspectorate | url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=185}}</ref> [[axle counter]]s were used instead. The official report into the accident<ref name=report/> could not reach a firm conclusion, but speculated that the cause was either:
* an unaccountable error on the part of the Sprinter driver, or:
* technicians in the relay room at [[Severn Tunnel Junction]] had reset the axle counter while investigating the earlier signal failure fault, thus clearing the signal for the Sprinter.<ref name=":RM:"/>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{1991 railway accidents}}
{{Railway accidents in the United Kingdom, 1900–1999|state=collapsed}}
[[Category:Train collisions in England]]
[[Category:Train collisions in Wales]]
[[Category:Railway accidents in 1991]]
[[Category:1991 disasters in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Railway tunnel disasters]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving British Rail]]
[[Category:December 1991 events in the United Kingdom]]
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