At around 05:40 hrs on 4 March 2024, a passenger train, travelling along
the Up Fast line between Woking and London Waterloo, struck a piece of
redundant rail on a railway access point on the approach to
Walton-on-Thames station. The train was travelling at around 85 mph (137
km/h) when the collision occurred.

The train's leading set of wheels derailed, but the train remained
upright and came to a stand around 500 metres beyond the point of
collision, as a result of the driver applying the emergency brake. There
were no injuries, but the train and several hundred metres of railway
infrastructure were damaged.

The train was the first one along the Up Fast line following engineering
work that had taken place the previous weekend. This work included
recovering redundant rails.

Ed: I think they meant "was supposed to include recovering redundant
rails"
--
Roland Perry

On 20/03/2024 08:57, Roland Perry wrote:
> At around 05:40 hrs on 4 March 2024, a passenger train, travelling along
> the Up Fast line between Woking and London Waterloo, struck a piece of
> redundant rail on a railway access point on the approach to
> Walton-on-Thames station. The train was travelling at around 85 mph (137
> km/h) when the collision occurred.
>
> The train's leading set of wheels derailed, but the train remained
> upright and came to a stand around 500 metres beyond the point of
> collision, as a result of the driver applying the emergency brake. There
> were no injuries, but the train and several hundred metres of railway
> infrastructure were damaged.
>
> The train was the first one along the Up Fast line following engineering
> work that had taken place the previous weekend. This work included
> recovering redundant rails.
>
> Ed: I think they meant "was supposed to include recovering redundant rails"

The "several hundred metres of railway infrastructure" was the third
rail which was ripped from its mountings, the derailed bogie being
deflected that side of the track.
--
Graeme Wall
This account not read.

Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
> At around 05:40 hrs on 4 March 2024, a passenger train, travelling along
> the Up Fast line between Woking and London Waterloo, struck a piece of
> redundant rail on a railway access point on the approach to
> Walton-on-Thames station. The train was travelling at around 85 mph (137
> km/h) when the collision occurred.
>
> The train's leading set of wheels derailed, but the train remained
> upright and came to a stand around 500 metres beyond the point of
> collision, as a result of the driver applying the emergency brake. There
> were no injuries, but the train and several hundred metres of railway
> infrastructure were damaged.
>
> The train was the first one along the Up Fast line following engineering
> work that had taken place the previous weekend. This work included
> recovering redundant rails.
>
> Ed: I think they meant "was supposed to include recovering redundant
> rails"

It will be interesting to see the final report.
Being a cynic I’ll suspect all procedures will have been followed pre work
briefing ,PPE kit all worn , all forms correctly filled in but after
doing all that nobody at the end of the shift did a simple last look. Was
the night of the 3-4th of March one of those where rain poured down
heavily?
People getting soaked and cold ,that can have a detrimental effect on
performance and possibly a wish to get off home asap at end of shift.
Or did that short section fall unnoticed from a vehicle as they drove away?
GH