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Wed, 24 Jun 2026

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 Train passed red signal before fatal crash - report

A preliminary report from the Independent Rail Accident Investigation Branch is published.

* One train driver, Shaun Burton (60), killed
* 162 people injured, including 53 still hospitalized and 8 in critical condition
* Crash occurred when one London-bound service collided with another at Elstow, near Bedford
* Investigation by Rail Accident Investigation Branch suggests train driver passed a red signal before the collision
* Automatic Warning System (AWS) equipment on stationary train malfunctioned, causing it to come to an unexpected stop
* Train that crashed through the red signal had its brakes activated for 9 seconds before impact
* Speed reduced from 76mph to 49mph at time of crash