Monday 9 Feb 2004

INCIDENT ON C2C ROUTE - SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2004

Region & Route:
| Eastern: Anglia
| Eastern
| Southern
Shortly before 06.00 on Sunday 8 February 2004 the 05.35 Shoeburyness to London Liverpool Street clipped a railway maintenance van just west of Leigh-on-Sea station. The van was being used by contractors who were maintaining the track.  The train had just left the station and was running at slow speed (30mph) when it clipped the back of the van.  No one was injured and the train only received slight damage. Passengers were escorted from the train and walked approximately 500 yards back to the station.  The train reversed back into Leigh-on-Sea station when a relief driver arrived on site. Network Rail said:  “Safety is unreservedly Network Rail’s top priority and this incident will be thoroughly investigated to establish why it happened.  All employees who work on track are fully briefed on railway safety.  We apologise to passengers who were inconvenienced on Sunday morning and ensure passengers that every measure will be put in place to make sure this does not happen again.”

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