Near miss for track worker almost hit while testing cables near Luton Airport Parkway station

The worker, who was testing telecommunications cables, was just stepping off an underbridge at Chiltern Green when the train passed them at 9.53am on April 23, 2024.

The train driver saw the person, sounded the horn and put on the emergency brake before reporting the incident to the signaller after not knowing if the worker had been hit.

A report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) found that the worker was “unaware of any other way to walk back to the rest of the group” as the person in charge had not arranged for the tester to safely leave and rejoin the team after a break.

The report stated: “The person in charge had previously taken the tester over the bridge using an informal and potentially unsafe system of work, using a route to the site of work which was not the one the project engineer planning the work had intended the group to use.”

Due to being unfamiliar with one of the locations, the person in charge “had a very limited role when the work was planned and had not been briefed beforehand”.

The report also found that the documents issued to the person in charge “did not give a clear description of the way the team was expected to walk to the site of work”.

The Keltbray Infrastructure Services Limited, which has rebranded to Aureos, was asked by RAIB to “review and amend how it plans work on or near the line, so its staff can better understand how to manage and carry out the work they need to deliver”.

An Aureos spokesperson said: “Aureos is aware on this incident which occurred in April 2024 on a Linbrooke contract, prior to the acquisition of the Linbrooke Rail Signalling, Power and & Communications business by Aureos in October 2024. We will assess the findings and recommendations against the Aureos procedures now in place and ensure that all lessons are learnt and shared.”

To prevent something like this happening again, The Rail Safety and Standards Board has been told to review and change the rail industry standard requirements for warning signage at structures with restricted clearance.

A spokesperson for the Rail Safety and Standards Board said: “We welcome publication of the RAIB investigation into the cause of a near miss between a track worker and train at Chiltern Green in April 2024.

“Improving track worker safety is still a priority issue for RSSB and the rail industry, and we will be working together to consider the implementation of RAIB’s recommendations.”

Network Rail has been asked to record signage next to train lines and arrange for inspections and maintenance. A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We take safety incidents of this kind very seriously and an internal investigation has also been held alongside our contractor who employed the individual involved. Our teams have been reminded of the importance of accurate briefing and understanding of the safe system of work when on or near the tracks.

"We'll fully review the recommendations within this report and take any further action as appropriate".

The RAIB also gave a list of learning points, which included reminding staff about how to safely exit the railway and not going to an area “where there is reduced space between a structure and the nearest running rail of an open line”.