Cowden rail crash cause signal passed at danger
The Cowden rail crash occurred on 15 October 1994, near Cowden Station in Kent (UK), when two trains collided head-on, killing five and injuring thirteen, after one of them had passed a signal at danger and entered a single-line section. The cause was driver error, possibly involving a guard who was in the cabin against regulations.Incident
The 08:00 Up Uckfield-Oxted DMU train, 2E27 consisting of Class 205 three-car units 205018 and 205001 crewed by driver Brian Barton and guard Jonathan Brett-Andrews. Brett-Andrews had ambitions to become a driver and was in the driver's cab at the time of the collision; this was in breach of the operating rules. It is thought that his presence may have contributed to the accident and there were even suspicions that he might have been at the controls; he had been reprimanded three times before for being in the front cab when he should not have. 2E27 departed from Ashurst at about 08:25 and entered a single-track section of line at danger, which ran from Ashurst to Hever station, the signal was meant to be held at danger for 2E27 to await the passage of a Down train.
This Down train was the 08:04 Down Oxted-Uckfield DMU train 2E24, consisting of Class 205 three-car units 205029 and 205032, crewed by driver David Rees and guard R. Boyd. It had just departed Cowden station, already located within the single-line section between Ashurst and Hever, and because of a lack of communication with the train crews, the Oxted signalman was unable to prevent the collision which occurred at around 08:27. In the ensuing collision, the lead car of 2E27 was telescoped by the lead car of 2E24. Both drivers, Barton and Rees, along with guard Brett-Andrews and two passengers, Raymond and Maura Pointer, were killed, the cabs so badly damaged that it was impossible to determine who had been driving 2E27 at the time of impact.