Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has written to the Head of Metrolink to urge him to take on board the findings of reports into dangerous incidents involving trams in Croydon and at the Deansgate-Castlefield station to improve Metrolink safety. 

Although the Deansgate-Castlefield incident in May 2019 did not lead to any deaths or injuries, accident investigators found it has some disturbing similarities to a terrible accident at the Sandilands Junction, Croydon in November 2017 which a tram overturn and seven people tragically lost their lives.

Councillor Sykes, who represents Oldham on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee and is also the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Transport in Greater Manchester, has previously asked local transport officials to review the lessons from the Sandilands accident and the recent publication of the report into the incident at Deansgate – Castlefield has made him doubly sure this is the right thing to do. 

Councillor Sykes said:  “A terrible tram accident may have featured as a fictional story line on Coronation Street, but I am sure that none of us want to see the story line played out for real.  It is far better to take stock now than wait and risk an accident in the future that we should have prepared against now and avoided.”

Copy letter below:

29 September 2020

Danny Vaughan, Head of Metrolink, Transport for Greater Manchester

Cc Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Dear Mr Vaughan,

Learning Lessons from the Deansgate – Castlefield Tram Stop near miss, 17 May 2019

I am writing to you in connection with the findings of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report, published 3 August 2020, which examined the causes leading to an incident where a tram failed to stop at the Deansgate – Castlefield halt and continued through a red light to almost collide with a second oncoming tram. 

Fortunately, the driver of the second tram was able to brake in time to avoid a collision, and so there were no casualties.

The investigation team found that a significant contributory factor in the driver of the first tram failing to stop at the platform and then passing the stop sign was ‘a temporary loss of awareness’.  The RAIB suggests there could have been a medical reason for this condition, or the driver ‘losing focus on the driving task’.

I would suggest that there could be a third reason for a ‘loss of awareness’ and that could be driver fatigue.

A previous RAIB investigation into a tram crash at Sandilands Junction, Croydon on 9 November 2017, found a similar ‘loss of awareness’ there.  Tragically in that case, seven people lost their lives and a further fifty-eight passengers were injuring when a tram took a tight turn at a speed far in excess of that recommended and overturned.

Reports were received from witnesses that the driver had fallen asleep or passed out at the controls prior to the accident, and the RAIB suggested that the driver may have been fatigued because the driver roster system failed to give drivers sufficient time off to rest between shifts.

In the recent Deansgate – Castlefield near miss, the RAIB investigation also found that:

• the safety device on the tram did not detect the driver’s loss of awareness or arrest the vehicle’s movement because it was not designed to do so;

• neither Thales nor Transport for Greater Manchester had considered ‘loss of awareness’ in making their risk assessments, and that all parties should be involved in future risk assessments.

As a member representing Oldham on the Transport for Greater Manchester Board, I have previously asked for Metrolink to take account of the findings of the Sandilands enquiry to ensure such a tragedy can never repeat itself in Greater Manchester.  

To me it appears clear that the findings of the investigation into the Deansgate – Castlefield incident have demonstrable parallels with the previous Sandilands accident. 

A terrible tram accident may have featured as a fictional story line on Coronation Street, but I am sure that none of us want to see the story line played out for real. 

I would therefore like to ask the Metrolink senior management team to now conduct as a matter of urgency a review of our current practices, to take on board, and implement, the relevant recommendations of both reports. 

This should also engage the trades unions and the driver workforce as we must all recognise that driver, as well as passenger, safety is all important.

I look forward to your reply in due course.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE