Rail investigators have reported that the East Midlands train involved in the Bedford rail crash in June sped up after its driver received an automatic warning for passing a red light. The driver, Shaun Burton, who died in the collision, acknowledged the warning but did not appear to act.
An updated report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) states the train continued to accelerate to 76mph before the driver applied emergency brakes. The train then slowed to 49mph before colliding with a stationary Nottingham-London train on the same track.
The first train had stopped after an automatic warning system (AWS) warning incorrectly sounded after it passed a green signal. This train was a new Aurora class 810 model, brought into service within the past six months on East Midlands Railway.
The RAIB report noted that in the weeks following the crash, another class 810 train also incorrectly received an AWS warning at the same signal on green. The crash, which occurred at approximately 5.13pm on 19 June, also resulted in 160 injuries.