Interim Report Released Following Fatal Train Crash
Written by HFM News on 1st October 2026
An interim report has been released into the fatal crash involving two East Midlands Railway trains, which left some passengers who had boarded in Market Harborough injured.
Driver Shaun Burton died and 162 people were injured when his Corby to London service collided with the rear of a stationary Nottingham to London train near Bedford on June 19th.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) says 102 people required hospital treatment, including people who boarded the stationary train at Market Harborough Railway Station.
The scene of the crash
The latest report says CCTV shows the signal ahead was displaying red correctly and that Mr Burton acknowledged the warning, but the train continued to accelerate before braking around nine seconds before the collision.
The RAIB says the train was travelling at around 76 miles per hour when the brakes were activated and around 49 miles per hour at the point of impact.
The interim report states the signal had rarely displayed red.
Passengers near the scene of the crash. Pic: Peter Knapp
The train that was struck had stopped unexpectedly after a fault with its Automatic Warning System (AWS) caused its brakes to apply.
Investigators are also examining the signalling equipment. An AWS component at the signal was later found to be positioned 16 millimetres below the permitted level, after another train received an incorrect warning at the same location on July 9th.
However, tests found no evidence that the signal itself was faulty after the crash.
The RAIB says its investigation is continuing.
