First things first. Everyone got out ok, with the exception of cuts and bruises, and potentially a traumatic experience they’ll still be telling to the grandkids. A few pears were bruised as well. On the serious side, it didn’t matter what sort of train was involved. The full-speed collision wiped out the truck and left a huge repair job for ProRail. Freight and passenger traffic is disrupted on the key Utrecht–Eindhoven railway after the serious collision at Meteren, which has closed one of the Netherlands’ most important mixed-traffic corridors.

Wreck-around-the-clock repairs

As reported by our sister service, RailTech.com, the crash caused significant damage to both the train and the infrastructure. The Utrecht–’s-Hertogenbosch–Eindhoven line carries a dense mix of intercity and regional passenger services alongside regular freight operations, including international traffic linking the Netherlands with Germany and Belgium.

Under normal conditions, up to ten passenger train paths per hour and two per hour for freight operate on the section through Meteren, making it a crucial artery in the Dutch rail network. In the interest of rail safety, ProRail has released CCTV footage of the moment of impact, giving drivers the sobering warning that, while not actually getting stuck on a crossing is a good idea, the next best thing is to drive on through it. Repairing a crossing is better than attending a fatality, they say.

After two days of clearing debris and assessing the damage, ProRail and its contractor Strukton began reconstruction work on Saturday, 1 November. Engineers are replacing around 500 sleepers and two kilometres of rail, along with the level crossing infrastructure, lighting, and signalling systems destroyed in the impact. A temporary access road and lighting have been installed to enable work to continue around the clock. While the overhead lines and underground cables remained intact, the precision work required to realign the track and crossing elements means that full restoration will take several days. ProRail is targeting the end of this week, if work progresses without delay.

Passenger diversions and freight impacts

Passenger disruption is already extensive. The Dutch national operator, NS, has deployed replacement buses between Geldermalsen and ’s-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch). Additional trains are running on the Utrecht–Rotterdam–Eindhoven–Heerlen route. Freight operators have been advised to reroute via alternative corridors, including the Betuweroute, though that line is already operating close to capacity. Given the importance of the Utrecht–Eindhoven axis for domestic and cross-border freight, the closure represents a significant logistical challenge. ProRail said it expects no services to resume before Friday morning, 7 November, as teams continue what it described as a “huge logistical operation”.

The swift mobilisation of resources reflects the strategic importance of the route and the urgency to restore mixed-traffic capacity. While the full investigation into the cause of the collision continues, the Dutch infrastructure agency has pledged to complete the repairs “as quickly and safely as possible”, mindful of the disruption to both passengers and freight carriers alike. The incident comes just a week after a near miss on the UK’s equally important East Coast Main Line, which is still a matter of investigation.

The Meteren incident has also highlighted the vulnerability of mixed-traffic corridors in the Netherlands, where freight and high-frequency passenger operations compete for limited track capacity. Even before the crash, the Utrecht–’s-Hertogenbosch–Eindhoven section was recognised by ProRail as a congestion hotspot. The temporary closure effectively removes two hourly freight paths in each direction—forcing international freight operators to divert or delay services. Industry observers say it underscores the need for continued investment in resilience measures—such as freight-dedicated routing, improved signalling, and dynamic traffic management—to maintain flow and minimise cascading delays when incidents occur.

A vehicle crashed onto railway tracks near the Scotland – England border on Friday (13 December). It brought all cross-border rail and road traffic to a standstill, but it could have been much worse. The crash caused an ‘all stop’ on rail lines and the motorway that connects Glasgow with England. Both were blocked for varying times during the day.

A freight crash, but not as we know it

An articulated semi-trailer – known in Britain as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) – crashed off the southbound M74 motorway on Friday morning. It came to rest on rail tracks near Gretna Junction. Reports began filtering into emergency services from around 8am on Friday, but the exact location was unclear. For several valid safety reasons, this resulted in a stop to all traffic on the West Coast Main Line. STV, a local broadcaster reported the incident.

For most people, “Gretna” is famous as the Scottish border location where young lovers traditionally fled to escape the strict marriage laws of England. That matrimonial location is actually Gretna Green, an adjacent community, just north of Gretna. A railway station, Gretna Green, serves both communities. However, there is also a railway feature – Gretna Junction – where the WCML and an alternative route north diverge. The major highway, the M74, crosses both lines in quick succession. Given the possible confusion over the exact location of the crash, there was little alternative but to halt all rail traffic.

Memories of earlier tragedy

The folklore tradition of bad luck on Friday the Thirteenth may have been seen to come true. However, the incident could be looked upon in an entirely different light. Undoubtedly, it was a bad day for the driver of the articulated truck. Nevertheless, it could have been very much worse. The road accident was remarkably minor, given the speed, weight and circumstances of the crash. The rail accident was confined to damaged tracks, and delays and disruption for passengers and freight for most of the day.

This could have been a horrific incident, reminiscent of the “Great Heck” crash of 2001. In that disaster, on the East Coast Main Line (on 28 February 2001), a vehicle crashed down an embankment onto the tracks of the ECML. It was subsequently struck by a fast passenger train, which then collided with a goods train. Ten people were killed, and scores were injured.

Outcomes very fortunate

Fortunately, the outcome this time was far more benign. The line affected is used by a small number of ScotRail passenger services, and an even smaller volume of freight and engineering trains. There is a recently opened freight depot nearby.

The truck was in the livery of Warrington-based Mark Thompson, part of the Kinaxia Group logistics operation. The causes of the crash are a matter of investigation by both Police Scotland and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch. For all concerned, this potentially black Friday turned out to be very lucky Friday indeed.

Wheels not turning for 55 miles

The incident, which occurred at 1953hrs, involved a freight train transporting cement powder from Clitheroe, Lancashire (north of Manchester), to Mossend, near Glasgow in Scotland. The train had traversed the Settle and Carlisle on its journey. Five tank wagons derailed near Petteril Bridge Junction, resulting in substantial damage to both the wagons and the track, as well as the bridge over the River Petteril. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

The investigation determined that the derailment was caused by a set of wheels on the ninth wagon ceasing rotation during the journey. This condition had persisted for up to 55 miles (88km) before the derailment, causing severe damage to the wheel treads. That’s around four times longer than a similar fault which caused the catastrophic Llangennech derailment in Wales in 2020. “Consequently, the affected wheels were unable to safely navigate a set of points just prior to Petteril Bridge Junction”, says the RAIB report. “This led to further damage, resulting in the derailment of the ninth wagon. Five wagons ultimately derailed due to the resulting track impairment, with two falling from the bridge.”

Not spotted by procedures, systems or signallers

Although the ninth tank wagon was ruptured in the incident, minimal spillage of cement powder occurred. The initial wheel slide was likely triggered by a routine brake application in low adhesion conditions, which were not considered unusual for the route during that time of year. The wheel slide persisted due to inadequate adhesion between the wheels and the rails, preventing the wheels from resuming rotation.

Remarkably, neither the signallers along the route nor the train driver, nor any engineered system, detected the non-rotating wheels. Consequently, the train was not halted before reaching Petteril Bridge Junction. Although it’s not the remit of the RAIB to apportion blame or prosecute, the watchdog has issued several recommendations to the railway industry. The first involves conducting comprehensive research to grasp the specific risks posed to freight trains in low adhesion conditions. Additionally, the extensive RAIB report, which highlights issues thought the train’s journey, to has suggested a review of the official railway Rule Book requirements regarding the halting and examination of trains, as well as the guidelines concerning drivers’ visual inspections along their trains. RAIB has also highlighted a crucial learning point for signallers, emphasising the circumstances in which they should halt trains for examination.

The wheels on the train did not go round and round

The report, which runs to 46 pages, reviews the night, on the early hours of 6 March 2021, when a wagon with severe wheel flats on one wheelset fractured two rails within a mile of each other between Pencoed and Llanharan in South Wales. Although the signallers who controlled the train’s movements were aware that something was wrong with the train after the rails had been fractured, the train was allowed to continue its journey until it was stopped at Horfield Junction, on the approach to Bristol. Wheel flats were also citied in the incident leading to massive the derailment the previous year at nearby Llangennech.

The wagon was part of train 6A11, travelling from Robeston oil terminal, at Milford Haven, on the southwest coast of Wales, to Theale oil terminal, near Reading, about twenty-five miles (40 km) from central London. The wheel flats occurred because a wheelset had stopped rotating (referred to as ‘locked’ in the report) while the train was moving during the journey. The train was on a working almost identical to the derailment of the previous year.

Rusty rails and wheelset fails

The investigation found that the wheelset had probably locked during braking in an area of very low railhead adhesion when the train was travelling along the recently reopened Swansea District line – a route, mainly for freight, which avoids the busy passenger line through Swansea, and provides a more gently graded route, suited to heavier freight movements.

The rails on that line were rusty as they had not been used for several months. The environmental conditions were such that the rails were also wet, and the combination of rust and moisture created the very low adhesion experienced by the train.

Listening for trouble from afar?

Despite taking no further action, the RAIB says the infrastructure agency Network Rail had not taken any specific precautions to ensure that an adequate level of adhesion was available when reopening the line. “This arose because Network Rail’s focus when managing low adhesion was on the autumnal leaf fall season”, says the RAIB. “It had not acted on the advice provided by a cross-industry working group on the adhesion-related precautions to take when reopening an unused line.”

The RAIB has revisited another earlier report, also in South Wales. “In light of the findings of this report”, says the RAIB, “very low adhesion may be an alternative potential causal factor of relevance to the Ferryside accident (RAIB report 17/2018). An addendum has been added to the Ferryside report discussing this potential causal factor. This update does not alter the safety recommendations made in the earlier version of the report.”

RAIB has made one recommendation to Network Rail to review its processes. It says that in light of the existing industry guidance to manage all occasions outside the leaf fall season, which could result in very low levels of wheel-to-rail adhesion. RAIB has also identified one learning point for signallers. In accordance with the appropriate railway rule book, they must arrange for a train to be stopped and examined if they become aware of an unusual noise coming from a wagon. Signallers may be forgiven for querying how that guidance may be applied – from a signalling centre that may well be in a different country – England.

On 19 August 2020, the early departure (04:10 hrs) intermodal freight train service from Hams Hall Birmingham to the Port of Felixstowe collided with agricultural machinery being towed over the railway by a tractor at the Kisby user worked crossing. The rural location lies between Whittlesey and March in Cambridgeshire.

The train was travelling at about 66 mph (106 kph) when it struck the machinery. The train driver suffered minor injuries in the accident. The tractor driver was uninjured. The locomotive and one wagon derailed, with both suffering some damage. There was also extensive damage to the infrastructure of the railway. The train driver escaped greater harm by swiftly taking refuge behind a acb bulkhead in the moments before collision.

Land owner not briefing crossing users

In their findings, the RAIB put the accident down to the actions of the road user. “The accident happened because the tractor driver did not telephone the signaller before crossing the railway to seek permission to cross”, noted the official report.

“This was a consequence of the tractor driver not being briefed about the requirement to call the signaller and his belief that he could cross safely by looking for approaching trains”, said the RAIB. “This probably arose because the authorised user, the person owning land on both sides of the level crossing, was not briefing crossing users in a way which resulted in correct use of the crossing, and railway staff were unaware that this was the case until shortly before the accident.”

Safety watchdog makes two recommendations

RAIB found that the infrastructure management agency Network Rail was not effectively managing the safe use of Kisby. There were also identified shortcomings at some other user worked crossings with telephones. RAIB said that this was an underlying factor for the accident.

As a result of its investigation, RAIB has made two recommendations, one addressed to Network Rail and one addressed to the Health and Safety Executive. These seek improvements in the management and assurance processes applied to user worked crossings. They also require additional means of communicating crossing safety information to agricultural workers. RAIB has also written to several organisations representing farmers asking that they remind their members of the importance of following correct procedures at user worked crossings.

Rear-ended stationary train

The government-appointed but independent RAIB began investigating the crash between two freight trains on 7 July 2022.

The RAIB say that the train passing the danger signal ran into the back of an already stopped service. “At around 06:23, train reporting number 4E11, a freight service operated by GB Railfreight, collided with the rear of a stationary freight train. The collision occurred to the south of Doncaster on the [slow lines], between Loversall Carr and Flyover West junctions”, says their initial statement.

No injuries despite the speed of collision

Immediately before the accident, the northbound intermodal train designated 4E11 passed a red signal. “The rear of the stationary train was approximately 230 metres beyond this signal when the collision occurred”, says the RAIB. “[The] train was travelling from Felixstowe to Masborough and consisted of 35 container-carrying wagons and a locomotive. It collided with the rear of the stationary train at approximately 28 miles per hour [45 kph].”

No one was hurt in the accident, although the collision derailed several wagons in both trains and caused significant damage to the vehicles and infrastructure involved. “Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events which led to this incident”, says the RAIB. “It will also consider the way in which the train was driven [and] any factors which may have influenced the actions of the driver of the train.”

Standard practice investigations

The RAIB says it will also look closely at the condition of the signalling system at the time of the incident and seek to understand any underlying management factors. Both of those actions are standard practices for the watchdog.

Masborough, the eventual destination of the train, is the main terminal for Rotherham in South Yorkshire. It was, until the 1980s, the site of the city’s main passenger terminal, which has since been superseded as part of a broader tram-based metro system centred on neighbouring Sheffield. Doncaster has been shortlisted as a potential headquarters for the new infrastructure and rail management agency Great Britsh Railways.

The moving locomotive involved, a standard class 66 diesel numbered 66729, was named “Derby County” by GBRf, and featured as a popular model on the British ’N’ Gauge scale. Unlike its 148 times larger big brother, it has been discontinued.