A serious near miss involving a passenger train and track workers at Morton Junction on 27 November 2024 has prompted fresh safety warnings after a new report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) revealed multiple failures in planning, documentation, and communication.
The incident occurred at around 07:26 on the Erewash Valley Line, approximately 2.4 miles north of Alfreton, when a train travelling at 78mph narrowly avoided colliding with three track workers who had accessed the line without a valid protection in place. CCTV footage showed the group clearing the track just two seconds before the train passed.
The RAIB’s investigation found that the group, led by a Controller of Site Safety (COSS), had intended to work under a planned line blockage – a routine safety measure that holds signals at red to prevent train movements in the area. However, due to an administrative error, the team had the wrong Safe Work Pack (SWP) and were actually working on open track, believing it to be protected.
The confusion began when planned work at two nearby locations – Morton Junction and Codnor Park Junction – was swapped in the days leading up to the shift. Although the change was made, the revised production sheet was not saved correctly, and the outdated version was issued to the team, listing the original locations and incorrect SWP references.
As a result, the COSS and team accessed the line at Morton Junction, while the line blockage requested and granted by the signaller applied to Codnor Park Junction – seven miles to the south.
Crucially, the COSS did not fully read or verify the SWP before briefing the team, relying instead on familiarity with the location. Despite the COSS telling the signaller that the team was at Morton Junction, both parties failed to notice that the signal numbers being used related to a different part of the railway altogether.
The near miss was only avoided because the approaching train’s horn prompted the workers to jump clear at the last possible moment. Forward-facing CCTV confirmed that the train driver had just five seconds’ visibility before reacting, due to poor weather and track curvature.
Systemic Lessons
The RAIB report highlights the dangers of complacency, administrative oversight, and insufficient cross-checking of safety-critical information. It reiterates the importance of verifying all safety documentation, even at familiar locations, and ensuring mutual understanding between COSS staff and signallers when requesting line blockages.
The incident is one of several recent cases where incorrect understanding of work locations led to staff being placed at risk. A similar near miss occurred near Euxton Junction in 2024 and previously at Dundee in 2018.
Network Rail has since reminded staff of tools such as the “Access Point” app, designed to help verify location and hazard information in the field, and has issued further safety advice through its internal Safety Central platform.
A Wake-Up Call
“This incident could very easily have ended in tragedy,” said a Network Rail spokesperson. “It underlines the need for absolute vigilance when it comes to safety processes. Even small errors in paperwork or communication can have life-threatening consequences.”
The RAIB report will feed into further reviews of safety procedures for track access, line blockages, and Safe Work Pack distribution – areas that remain under intense scrutiny following several close calls in recent years.
As the report makes clear, even experienced staff with deep local knowledge are not immune to making critical mistakes – especially when processes are rushed, plans are altered, or fatigue is a factor.
The incident adds renewed urgency to ongoing work across the industry to improve planning systems, strengthen safety culture, and make better use of digital tools to avoid similar incidents in future.
