§ Mr. Parker(by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he can make a statement on the serious train accident which took place at Dagenham on Thursday evening, 30th January.
§ The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Harold Watkinson)Yes, Sir. The accident occurred shortly after 7.35 p.m. last night outside Dagenham East Station on the Eastern Region down line from Fenchurch Street to Southend. The 6.35 p.m. steam train to Shoeburyness collided in thick fog with the rear of the 6.20 p.m. steam train to Southend which was stationary or moving slowly at the time. An electric train on the adjoining up London Transport line ran into the debris but stopped without material damage.
The engine of the 6.35 train ploughed half way through the last carriage of the 6.20 train and damaged the rest of the carriage as well as the rear of the adjoining one. The engine of the 6.35 p.m. train was derailed, but the rest of that train was not seriously damaged.
I regret to inform the House that 10 people were killed and 87 were injured, 30, I am glad to say, only slightly.
The emergency services responded immediately to the situation in conditions of serious difficulty and I should like to express appreciation of the work they have done, and also of the generous help given by those living near the scene of the accident.
I have appointed Brigadier Langley, an Inspecting Officer of Railways, to hold an inquiry into the accident and he visited the site last night. I cannot at present make any further statement.
I am sure that the House will wish to express its sympathy with the relatives and friends of those who have lost their lives and with those who suffered injury.
§ Mr. ParkerI am sure that all of us on this side of the House, too, would like to express sympathy with the relatives of those who lost their lives and our appreciation of the efforts of the people who took part in the rescue work. There are two points which I should like to ask the Minister to ask the committee of inquiry to go into. First, was the signalling system working effectively? There is a special one on that line. There is a good deal of disquiet not only in that area, but in the London area generally, about the working of the signalling arrangements in fog conditions at the present time and the public need to be reassured. Secondly, the line is being electrified. Is that work impeding safety operations on the line in fog conditions?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe engine involved in the crash was fitted with automatic train control. The matters which the hon. Member has raised will be fully investigated by the inquiry, but my present advice is that the preparations for electrification had no effect on this accident.
Secondly, I am advised that the signalling system—which, eventually, will be replaced when the line is electrified—was perfectly in order and was quite adequate, but, of course, that will be looked into.
§ Mr. McAddenAs one who travels on this line almost every day. I should like to add my expression of sympathy with those who have suffered as a result of this train crash. While, obviously, we must await the report of the inquiry which is to be held, may I ask whether my right hon. Friend will bear in mind the grave disquiet which has been caused to people by these two very recent accidents in fog in the South-Eastern region and to do something as quickly as possible to allay the public anxiety that exists?
I should also like to take the opportunity, on behalf of my own constituents, to thank the people of Dagenham for the very considerable assistance that they rendered on this occasion. What a tragedy it is on this line, which is very much a family line, that the operating staff and the travelling public should have suffered this grievous blow.
§ Mr. WatkinsonI am grateful to my hon. Friend, who, I know, is a daily user of the line. May I add this—and I am certainly not commenting on the present accident? The previous serious 669 accident at Lewisham undoubtedly had a grave element of human error in it and I have taken steps today to see that Sir Brian Robertson does remind all concerned of the very heavy burden which falls upon them in conditions of acute fog such as we suffered last night.