Ashchurch Accidents

The Ashchurch area seems to have suffered more than its fair share of accidents, some of them fatal, over the years.

 An accident on 26 September 1899 involved the 1.56pm Cheltenham - Great Malvern passenger train. This had called at the up main line platform to set down and pick up passengers. It then reversed across to the down main line before being signalled onto the branch for Tewkesbury, Upton and Malvern. Unfortunately the signalman at Ashchurch Junction Signal Box wrongly turned it onto the loop part of the line and consequently the 0-4-4T loco and three carriages derailed on catch points at the far end of the loop. There were no fatalities but eleven people were injured. The report blamed the signalman and, to some extent, the train driver who should have noticed he was on the wrong line and recommended alterations to the junction, signalling and point locking arrangements.

The full report can be viewed at http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BoT_Ashchurch1899.pdf

A tragic accident occurred in 1929, illustrated below.

A serious accident only six miles away at Ashton-Under-Hill occurred on 25 February 1935 when the 9.51am Birmingham New Street - Ashchurch passenger via Redditch and Evesham derailed at high speed. The loco driver suffered scalding from which he died. The engine was 2023, an 0-6-4T. Following the accident, this  type of loco was withdrawn from service and scrapped, as they were found to be prone to oscillation at higher speeds, which, combined with the poor state of the track on the branch, were the main causes of the derailment. The full report can be viewed at http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_AshtonUnderHill1935.pdf

On 2 May 1950 there was a bizarre accident six miles north of Ashchurch, on the main line at Defford, written up in a newspaper report. It was fortunate not to have been much more serious. Note the train was only delayed by fifteen minutes. Nowadays it would be cancelled on the spot, with the line closed for hours, quite probably days, whilst an investigation took place.

The newspaper article reads:

Jet Hits Train at Defford

The pilot of a Meteor jet fighter had an amazing escape yesterday evening when, after hitting a moving workman's train at Defford as he was flying in to land, he crash-landed on Defford RAF airfield.

The collision occurred as the 4.35pm from Birmingham to Cheltenham train was running towards Defford station. 

The undercarriage of the aircraft was damaged and the roof of the engine's cab was dented by the impact, but no-one on the train was hurt.

The aircraft was flying across the railway line to touch down on the airfield when it hit the locomotive's cab.Passengers looking out of the train windows watched as it came in low towards them, at a few minutes to six.

The engine driver was shaken and was relieved at Defford Station but the Fireman carried on to Gloucester. Both were Worcester men. 

Passengers arrived in Cheltenham at 6.40pm, about fifteen minutes late. The locomotive was not badly damaged and carried on with its normal working. 

In the 1960s when the Tewkesbury branch was freight only, a local farmer in his tractor was hit on a crossing by the three times a week train, fortunately escaping with minor cuts.

In the aftermath, there was almost another incident, which prompted a very irate letter from the Area Manager at Cheltenham Lansdown station to the DRPS. It was claimed the Society was running locos on the provender sidings without getting the required prior permission from BR. On 12 May 'the sidings were opened for the Main Line as we (BR) were using them to shunt wagons which were being used to pick up the derailed wagons from the Ashchurch mishap, and as I had already called our train back into the sidings, only to find your engines coming out from the sidings, a collision could have occurred.' The Society in response said they had contacted the Ashchurch signalman earlier in the week about the moves. It also transpired that from 3 June the site would come under the jurisdiction of the Gloucester Area Manager, hitherto it had been under the Station Master at Ashchurch. (I believe the latter post was abolished, with Ashchurch station having a foreman in future.) 

On 8 March 1969, a further tragedy occurred, details are here:

   10 March 1969

Volume 779   HANSARD

Mr. Ridley (by Private Notice)

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement about the train crash at Ashchurch, in Gloucestershire, on Saturday, 8th March.

The Minister of Transport (Mr. Richard Marsh)

At 11.55 on Saturday, 8th March, a mineral wagon in the 07.50 Washwood Heath to Stoke Gifford goods train became derailed to the left from the down line immediately after passing Ashchurch station. The wagon continued forward for about 100 yards and then struck a diesel locomotive that was standing on a siding alongside the main line, and a general derailment followed.

A number of derailed wagons were pushed towards the up line on which the 10.40 Bristol to Newcastle express passenger train was passing at the time but, fortunately, at slow speed because of a temporary speed restriction ahead. The first five coaches of the express had already passed and the next four were only slightly damaged, but the last two coaches were derailed, parted from the rest of the train, and extensively damaged, their entire near sides being ripped off. It is with deep regret that I must inform the House that one passenger was killed and a number of passengers injured. I know that the House will join with me in expressing sincere sympathy with ​ the relatives of the young man who was killed and with the injured passengers. I am informed that at 10.30 this morning eight injured passengers were still detained in hospital, of whom one was seriously ill. The cause of the initial derailment has yet to be determined. An inspecting officer of railways visited the site on the day of the accident, and I have directed that an inquiry into it be held. 

In more recent years, certainly post-BR, freight for Ashchurch Camp from the Cheltenham direction goes through to Worcester where the loco runs round and returns the load to Ashchurch before reversing into the transfer sidings. Though adding mileage, it eliminates the need to set back from the up and over the down main line which, particularly in the era of high speed trains, is a somewhat hazardous operation.