FAILURES by Network Rail and a civil engineering company it contracted to carry out work have been identified as the cause of a 'near miss' incident in Thurrock – when a speeding commuter train was just six second away from crashing into a concrete lorry at a level crossing.

The incident happened in March this year at the Mucking automatic half barrier level crossing in the east of the borough. The crossing is next to a power substation where construction work was being carried out and as it attempted to reverse into the site, the concrete lorry straddled the lines and became entangled with a barrier that was coming down because of the approaching c2c train.

Fortunately workman managed to lift the barrier from the lorry and it reversed out of the way of the train moments before it hurtled through the crossing at 57mph.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has today (Monday, 9 December) released its findings after a detailed investigation and concludes the work procedures of both Network Rail and construction company Amey Inabensa.

The report states that shortly before noon on Wednesday 13 March the lorry stopped on the crossing and began to reverse towards the site entrance. Before the lorry cleared the crossing, the crossing barriers began lowering and caught between a water tank and the mixing drum on the back of the lorry. The lorry stopped for eight seconds while the barrier was lifted by site staff. It then reversed clear of the crossing six seconds before the train arrived.

There might well have been a second incident as the lorry repeated the manoeuvre despite the fact that another train was due to go through the crossing just a couple of minutes later.

The report states although the incident did not result in any damage or injuries, a collision with a lorry is likely to have had serious consequences and these could have been exacerbated by a railway junction immediately beyond the level crossing.

If the train had derailed, but remained upright and running in a straight line after striking the lorry, the derailed wheels would have struck the rails of the diverging route at the junction and this could have caused the coaches of the train to deflect sideways and/or overturn.

After the train passed with stopping or slowing down, the lorry driver drove forwards again, guided by a workman, and again stopped on the crossing before reversing clear of the railway and into the compound. The driver and banksman were unaware that another train was going to arrive at the crossing less than three minutes later.

Investigators say the incident happened because staff involved in the work planning, and staff on site, did not recognise and manage risk associated with working near level crossings.