§ 60. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement concerning the railway crash which occurred, involving fatalities, at Bas-church, Salop, on Monday evening 13th February, 1961.
§ Mr. MarplesYes. At about 7.45 p.m. on 13th February the 5.16 p.m. Cosford to Chester Down express passenger train collided at some speed with the leading vehicle of a down freight train at Baschurch, on the main line between Shrewsbury and Chester. The freight train had to be backed into a refuge siding for the passenger train to pass, but it was not completely in the siding when the collision occurred. The engine of the passenger train turned over, and the leading vehicle, a stores van, was thrown on top of it. The van caught fire and the fire spread to the first passenger coach. I regret to say that three railwaymen, including the driver and fireman of the passenger train, were killed. One railwayman is in hospital with serious injuries. Two of the twenty-two passengers and four other railwaymen received slight injuries. The relief services arrived quickly. The Up and Down lines were blocked until 1.30 p.m. the following afternoon when through working was resumed.
Colonel McMullen, an Inspecting Officer of Railways, opened a formal Inquiry into this accident yesterday at Shrewsbury.