Passengers were thrown from their seats and hit by falling luggage on a train traveling at three times the speed, investigators said.
The service from Newcastle to London King’s Cross Lumo passed through three groups of points near Peterborough Station in Cambridgeshire at 75 mph at 10:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 17, the Railway Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said. The maximum permitted speed for points which are mobile sections of track that allow trains to pass from one line to another is 25 miles per hour.
At the time of the incident, British transport police said 15 passengers had reported minor injuries and had been offered paramedics. The forces received a message that the train’s emergency brake had been applied.
Read more: Emergency stop of the Lumo train causes panic of passengers and minor injuries
In a preliminary statement, RAIB said: “Passing over the points at this speed (75 miles per hour) meant that the train suddenly swayed to the side. The sudden movement of the train led to the throwing of some passengers from the seats and the fall of luggage from above storage in the compartment.
“This has led to a number of minor injuries sustained by passengers.”
The train stopped after passing Peterborough, but he didn’t have to call the station. Initially approach the fast line area before heading for a slower line through the points where the speed limit was violated.
RAIB is conducting a full investigation into the incident, which will include an examination of how the train was driven, all the factors that may have affected the driver, the condition of the alarm system, the nature of the injuries and all the main driving problems.
A Lumo spokeswoman said: “At Lumo, the safety of our customers and staff is our highest priority and we will cooperate fully with the RAIB investigation. Until the investigation is completed, it would not be appropriate to comment further.
“In the meantime, we remain committed to providing the highest standards of service to our customers.”
Lumo is owned by FirstGroup and began operating on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh last October, competing with London’s state-of-the-art North East Railway. It stops in Newcastle and Morpeth and aims to offer a “greener alternative to flying”.
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