On the morning of 4 December 1984, a serious railway collision occurred near Eccles in Greater Manchester. An express passenger train travelling from Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough ran into the rear of a slow-moving freight train carrying fuel oil tankers. The passenger service, hauled by diesel locomotive 45147, consisted of seven coaches and a parcels van, while the freight, hauled by Class 47 locomotive 47310, was composed of fifteen oil tank wagons.

The freight train had been given verbal authority to pass a danger signal because of temporary signalling arrangements following maintenance work on the track circuits. As it began to move slowly away from the signal, the express train, travelling at approximately 50–60 mph, failed to stop at the preceding caution and home signals. The collision occurred at around 10:37, with the express striking the rear of the freight train at an estimated net impact speed of 40–50 mph.

The force of the collision derailed several tank wagons and caused fuel oil to spill, which ignited almost immediately. The locomotive and the first two coaches of the express train caught fire. The derailment and fire created an extremely hazardous scene, but the leading coach of the express was empty of passengers, which limited the potential loss of life in the most heavily damaged part of the train.

Three people died as a result of the accident: the driver of the express and two passengers. Sixty-eight people were injured, including some with serious burns and smoke inhalation, as well as trauma from the impact. Passengers in the undamaged rear carriages escaped without serious injury. Emergency services, including fire crews, ambulances, police, and local volunteers, responded rapidly, aided by the site’s proximity to the M602 motorway.

The official inquiry found that the express train driver had failed to respond to the caution and home signals. Signalling equipment was confirmed to be working correctly. The lack of an Automatic Warning System at the affected signals was a contributing factor. Following the investigation, AWS was installed on the relevant signals, and white backplates were fitted to improve visibility, enhancing safety to prevent a similar accident in the future.

The Eccles rail crash remains a sobering example of how human error combined with temporary operational changes and the absence of safety systems can have catastrophic consequences. The incident highlighted the importance of signalling discipline, the value of automatic warning systems, and the critical need for rapid and effective emergency response in the aftermath of a major railway accident.