At 4:38am on 16th November 2023, a railway multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) collided with a stationary tamper on the High Speed 1 line near Strood in Kent.

The MPV was doing about 12 mph when it hit the tamper, which at the time was being prepared for coupling to a second MPV ahead of it. An operator was positioned between the tamper and the second MPV as part of the coupling process.

The collision caused the two stationary vehicles to move along the track. The operator in the middle sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment. Three staff on the vehicles were knocked over by the impact but were not hurt. The moving MPV sustained minor damage.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch, the government agency that looks into these things,

Said that it will seek to identify the sequence of events that led to the accident and what lessons need to be learned.

Got a story? Email [email protected]