RAIB Releases Report Detailing 2024 Buffer Collision at London Bridge Station

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released a report detailing an incident regarding a buffer stop collision at London Bridge station on 13 December 2024.

The incident in question involved a Southern Railway passenger train striking the buffer stop on its arrival at platform 12 at London Bridge station at a speed of around 2.3 mph.

No injuries were reported as a result of the incident, and the report claims that there was ‘very minor’ damage to the train and railway infrastructure.

The RAIB has stated that the accident occurred due to the train driver failing to apply the brakes in time on the vehicle’s approach to the buffer stops. The report has found that this was a result of a ‘microsleep’ in which the driver lost control due to general fatigue.

Probable cause factors in the accident found by the RAIB include the rostering of the driver, as well as a lack of sleep the night before the accident.

Another factor reported by the RAIB include the lack of a response from any engineered protection systems fitted to the train itself, with the Train Protection and Warning System not automatically applying the train’s brakes on approach as it was not travelling above the set intervention speed.

The report states that a probable underlying factor to the accident was the mismanagement of fatigue risk by Govia Thameslink Railway, the company operating the Southern Railway franchise, as it was not found to be ‘sufficiently effective’ and did not adopt a number of elements of industry good practice to reduce fatigue-related risks. Additionally, the lack of safety systems that detect and mitigate short losses in driver alertness was also listed as a potential factor.

As a result of its investigation; the RAIB has made two recommendations: one addressed to Govia Thameslink Railway to improve its fatigue management process and to follow industry best practice, and the other to the Rail Safety and Standards Board, in consultation with the rail industry, to provide guidance when seeking external advice about medical conditions and working hours that may increase the risk of fatigue in safety-critical staff.