Fatigue Blamed for London Bridge Buffer Collision, RAIB Finds
A train collided with a buffer at London Bridge station due to driver fatigue, the rail safety regulator has concluded. The incident occurred at 15:45 GMT on 13 December 2024 when a Southern service struck the buffer on platform 12. Despite the emergency brake being applied, the train came to a stop safely and no injuries were reported, according to a report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).
The RAIB investigation found that the driver had experienced less sleep than usual the night before and that the work rota was designed in a way that heightened the risk of fatigue. Prior to the accident, the driver had also worked many of their scheduled rest days. Inspectors noted that none of the train’s engineered safety systems intervened because the train was moving too slowly for them to activate.
The report highlighted underlying concerns with fatigue management at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), stating that the company’s risk management measures were “not sufficiently effective” and did not incorporate some recognised elements of industry best practice. It also concluded that there are currently no safety systems on mainline trains capable of detecting or mitigating brief lapses in driver alertness.
The RAIB recommended that GTR improve its fatigue risk management procedures and adhere to industry best practices. Additionally, the Rail Safety and Standards Board has been urged to provide guidance on managing medical conditions and working hours that could increase fatigue risk among safety-critical staff.
Samantha Facey, GTR's safety, health and security director, said:
"Safety is always our number-one priority and we're determined to learn from every incident to improve our safety standard for our people and our customers. We're committed to making sure our staff are fit and alert when they're at work – in August we updated and improved our fatigue risk management standard to help us manage fatigue more effectively, which includes reports from staff related to tiredness. We've also set up stronger working groups with staff representatives and we're now using robust scientific modelling to plan staff shifts so we can spot and prevent fatigue before it becomes a risk."
Image: RAIB