Driver 'seriously injured' during Caledonian Sleeper shunting operation

An investigation has been launched after a train driver was seriously injured when his hand got trapped during a shunting operation in South Lanarkshire.

The Rail Accident Investigations Branch (RAIB) said the driver was injured at Carstairs station at around 12.45am on April 28.

The shunting operation involved two separate portions of the Caledonian Sleeper service – train 1C11 from Edinburgh and train 1M11, from Glasgow.

After the two portions had been coupled together, the locomotive from train 1C11 was detached to allow the combined train to continue south to London Euston.

After the locomotive from train 1C11 had been detached, its driver and a driver assessor positioned themselves on the track, near the locomotive, in order to carry out training with its coupling equipment.

As they were doing so, train 1M11 moved towards them.

The train driver saw the approaching train shortly before it reached them and warned the driver assessor.

Both attempted to move clear, but the train driver sustained serious injuries after their hand became trapped between the train and the locomotive.

The driver assessor was unhurt but only narrowly avoided being trapped.

The RAIB’s investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events that led to the accident.

It will also consider the actions of those involved and the factors that may have influenced them and the planning and control of the shunting operation.