On This Day in 1962, Coppenhall Junction train crash

On this day in 1962, the Coppenhall Junction railway accident occurred on the West Coast Main Line near Crewe in Cheshire, claiming 18 lives and injuring dozens more. The collision took place on the evening of 26 December, during a period of severe winter weather that had disrupted railway operations across the region. Snow and freezing temperatures caused points failures and signal delays, leading to congestion on one of Britain’s busiest main lines during the post-Christmas travel period.

The first train involved was the 13:30 Glasgow Central to London Euston express, widely known as the Mid-Day Scot. Hauled by an English Electric Type 4 diesel locomotive, it was formed of thirteen coaches and was carrying around 500 passengers. The train was brought to a halt by a red signal between Winsford and Crewe, but attempts by the crew to contact the signalman using the signal post telephone were unsuccessful, as the equipment was not working.

After waiting for some time, and believing the line ahead might be clear, the driver cautiously passed the signal at danger under the operating rules of the time in order to reach the next signal and its telephone. Visibility was poor, with darkness and wintry conditions reducing the driver’s ability to see far ahead. Unbeknown to him, another passenger train was stationary on the same line further ahead.

That second train was the 16:45 Liverpool Lime Street to Birmingham New Street service, hauled by an electric locomotive and consisting of eight coaches with about 300 passengers on board. It had been stopped on the Up Fast line because of the congestion caused by frozen points and delayed services. At approximately 6:01pm, the Mid-Day Scot collided with the rear of the stationary Birmingham train at a speed of about 20 miles per hour.

The impact caused severe damage to the rear of the Birmingham train. The buckeye couplings failed and the last two coaches telescoped into one another, resulting in catastrophic crushing of the passenger compartments. Eighteen people were killed, and 33 passengers along with one railway guard were seriously injured. Rescue efforts were made more difficult by the rural location and darkness, with the headlights of passing road vehicles used to illuminate the wreckage, and a nearby farm building used as a temporary mortuary.

An official inquiry later examined the circumstances surrounding the accident, including the failure of signal post telephones and the procedures for trains passing signals at danger during disrupted operations. While the line was cleared and reopened in the early hours of 27 December, the Coppenhall Junction crash remains a sobering reminder of how extreme weather, equipment failures and operational pressures can combine with tragic consequences on the railway.