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Derailment at Hest Bank Railway
Station EXTRACT FROM THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT RAILWAY ACCIDENT REPORT ON THE DERAILMENT THAT OCCURRED ON 20TH MAY 1965 AT HEST BANK 20th January, 1966. Sir, The 2210 hrs Up sleeping car express from Glasgow Central to Kensington Olympia was approaching Hest Bank Station at about 70 m.p.h. under clear signals when the rear nine coaches of the train became derailed by a broken rail on a section of track containing watertroughs. The train became divided in two places. The diesel locomotive and first three coaches, which were not derailed, came to a stand 746 yards beyond the point where the rail was broken; the second portion, consisting of four coaches including three sleeping cars, came to rest between the platforms of Hest Bank station with the coaches lying on their right-hand sides in the direction of travel, blocking both Up and Down lines; the third portion comprising a further four sleeping cars and a bogie brake van left the track on the Up side where it was on a low embankment and came to rest on the side of the bank tilted away from the line. Considerable exterior damage was sustained by the derailed coaches but the amount of structural and internal damage to the coach bodies was surprisingly small in view of the speed at which the derailment took place. Extensive damage was caused to the permanent way over a distance of 1/4 mile, to the Up side level crossing gates, and to the Up platform at Hest Bank. Prompt action was taken to stop approaching traffic and to summon emergency assistance, and with the help of the railwaymen at the scene the passengers were quickly extricated from the overturned coaches. Fortunately only 11 of the 114 passengers on the train sustained injuries or shock, all of a minor nature, and of these only two were detained in hospital, both being discharged within 3 days. The uninjured passengers were taken to Lancaster by road where an emergency WVS reception centre had been set up to receive them and prompt arrangements were made for them to continue their interrupted journeys. Breakdown cranes arrived from Lostock Hall and Carlisle at 0536 and 0655 hrs respectively and both the Up and Down lines were re-opened to traffic later the same evening under a temporary speed restriction of 20 m.p.h. During the time that the main line was blocked traffic was diverted over several alternative routes. The accident took place on a clear moonlit night and there was a sharp ground frost at the time. I.K.A.McNaughton, Lieutenant-Colonel Published by HMSO 1966 "Crown copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office"
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