Train crashed into buffer due to driver microsleep

"Network Rail A train crashed into a buffer at London Bridge railway station due to a driver's microsleep caused by fatigue, the rail safety regulator has said. At about 15:45 GMT on 13 December 2024, the Southern service struck the buffer on platform 12 despite the emergency brake having been applied, a Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report found. Nobody was injured."

"The driver had less than their normal amount of sleep the night before and the rota "was constructed in a way that increased the risk of fatigue", the report says. The driver had worked many of their rostered rest days before the accident. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has been approached for comment. The report also found that none of the engineered protection systems fitted to the train intervened to prevent the collision because the train was travelling too slowly for them to be deployed."

"One underlying factor was was that GTR's fatigue risk management "was not sufficiently effective and that it had not adopted some elements of industry good practice", inspectors found. A second underlying factor concluded "there are no safety systems currently fitted to mainline trains which can detect and mitigate short losses in driver alertness". The RAIB has recommended GTR improves its fatigue risk management and follow best industry practice."

The crash occurred at about 15:45 GMT on 13 December 2024 when a Southern service struck the buffer on platform 12 at London Bridge. The emergency brake was applied but did not prevent the collision. No one was injured. The immediate cause was a driver's microsleep caused by fatigue; the driver had less sleep than normal and had worked many rostered rest days beforehand. The rota increased the risk of fatigue. Engineered protection systems did not intervene because the train was travelling too slowly for them to deploy. Underlying factors included insufficient fatigue risk management at GTR and a lack of systems to detect short losses of driver alertness. Recommendations called for improved fatigue controls and industry guidance on medical conditions and working hours for safety-critical staff.

Read at www.bbc.com