| South Croydon rail crash | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 24 October 1947 08:37 |
| Location | South Croydon, Surrey |
| Country | England |
| Line | Brighton Main Line |
| Operator | Southern Railway |
| Cause | Signalman error |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Passengers | ~1,800 |
| Deaths | 32 |
| Injured | 183 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
The South Croydon rail crash on the British railway system occurred on 24 October 1947.
The crash took place south of South Croydon railway station. Two electric commuter trains collided in fog and 32 people were killed, including the driver of the second train. It was the worst accident on Britain's Southern Railway.
The crash was a rear-end collision caused by a signalman's error. The inexperienced signalman at Purley Oaks forgot about a train from Haywards Heath to London Bridge standing invisible in the fog. The line was protected by the Sykes "Lock and Block" apparatus, which prevented him from allowing another train into the section until the preceding one had left it. However, he believed that the elderly apparatus was faulty and used a release key. This allowed a train from Tattenham Corner to London Bridge into the same section, and they collided near South Croydon Junction. The trains were crowded in the rush hour, carrying 800 and 1000 people respectively, hence the heavy death toll.
Similar crashes, all caused by misuse of the Sykes release key or similar override mechanism, occurred at Battersea Park in 1937, Barnes in 1955 and Crayford railway station in 1959.
Notes
- London Today
- Lt Col Mount's report
- Nock, chapter 13 Blunders with "Lock & Block", pp. 149–151
- Rolt & Kichenside, Chapter 12 How Much Automation?, p. 278
References
- "24th October 1947: 32 killed in South Croydon train crash". London Today. 26 January 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
- Mount, Lt Col A H L (18 December 1948). "Report on the Collision near South Croydon Junction" (PDF). Ministry of Transport. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
- Nock, O.S.; Cooper, B.K. (1987) . Historic Railway Disasters (4th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1752-2.
- Rolt, L.T.C.; Kichenside, Geoffrey (1982) . Red for Danger (4th ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8362-0.
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| ‡ indicates railway accidents and incidents resulting in at least 20 fatalities § indicates the deadliest railway accident in British history 1815–1899   2000–present | |
51°21′25″N 0°5′33″W / 51.35694°N 0.09250°W / 51.35694; -0.09250
Categories:- History of the London Borough of Croydon
- Transport in the London Borough of Croydon
- Railway accidents and incidents in Surrey
- Railway accidents in 1947
- Railway accidents involving fog
- 1947 in England
- Railway accidents and incidents in London
- 1947 in London
- Accidents and incidents involving Southern Railway (UK)
- October 1947 events in the United Kingdom
- 1947 disasters in the United Kingdom
- Train collisions in England
- Railway accidents caused by signaller's error