§ Sir A. Bossomasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many fatal accidents have occurred on the Western Region of British Railways in the last three years; and whether the automatic warning system used in this Region is used on any other lines in Great Britain.
§ Mr. WatkinsonIn 1955, 1956 and 1957, there were five fatal train accidents in the Western Region. They comprised a serious derailment at Milton, near Didcot, on 20th November, 1955, in which 11 passengers were killed, and four collisions at accommodation (private) level crossings in which occupants of road vehicles were killed. In the accident at Didcot the engine driver failed to respond to a warning by the automatic train control equipment.
The British Transport Commission has not adopted the Western Region type of automatic warning control for the rest of the railways because it is not suitable for electrified lines, and it is not in use in any of the other Regions. On the Tilbury line in the Eastern Region a different system of warning control is in use. The Commission has developed a new British Railway system, which combines the best features of the other two, and this has been installed on the East Coast main line between King's Cross and Grantham. The new system has proved its reliability, and I approved it at the end of 1956. Active measures are in hand for its extension to all the main routes of British Railways.
§ Sir A. Bossomasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, as it is now a scientific possibility, and not unduly expensive, to give a radar or electronic warning of danger of possible collision to an engine driver, and even actually to apply the brakes if necessary, to what extent such a system is being considered at this time to avoid future accidents on the railways of Great Britain.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe possibility of using radar to prevent railway collisions has been considered by the railway engineers of the British Transport Commission from time to time in consultation with scientists who have specialised in168W radar, and the general conclusion they have reached is that radar, in its present state of development, is not applicable to railway conditions, despite its proved success at sea and in the air One of the main difficulties, apart from questions of reliability, is that radar works in straight lines; there is, of course, much curvature on the railways, and this would make for confusion between vehicles which were on the same line of rails as the approaching train and those on adjacent lines or sidings.
With my full support, the Commission is at present concentrating on the extension of automatic warning control. I refer to this more fully in answer to another Question from my hon. Friend.