A train passed a red signal moments before a fatal crash that killed three and injured dozens, the investigation has confirmed. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) released preliminary findings on Thursday, revealing that the driver failed to stop at a red light near the junction in Cambridgeshire. The crash, which occurred on Tuesday evening, involved a passenger train and a freight locomotive.
Safety campaigners and unions are now demanding immediate upgrades to the UK's aging rail network. The signal system in the area was not equipped with the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), a safety net that automatically applies brakes if a signal is passed at danger. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) called it a “catastrophic failure of investment.”
“This tragedy was entirely preventable,” said RMT general secretary Mick Lynch. “We have known for decades that signals alone are not enough. The government has dragged its feet on modernisation whilst workers and passengers pay the price.”
The crash is the deadliest on the UK rail network since the 2007 Grayrigg derailment. Family members of the victims gathered at the scene on Wednesday, laying flowers and demanding answers. One relative, who asked not to be named, said: “We were told the system was safe. Now we know it wasn’t.”
The Department for Transport responded by announcing a “full review” of safety protocols, but refused to commit to funding for TPWS upgrades on all routes. Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh accused ministers of “chasing cheap privatised contracts” over safety.
For passengers in the North, where many lines still rely on Victorian-era signalling, the fear is tangible. “It’s terrifying,” said Alison Moore, 54, a commuter from Manchester. “We trust the system every day. But if they can’t even put a basic safety device on tracks, what else is broken?”
The RAIB’s full report is expected within 12 months. But for the families of those killed, the wait is agony. Local MP James Murray said: “We need action now. The price of delay is lives.”
