Report to the Minister of Transport upon the Accidents that occurred on the Railways of Great Britain During the Year 1926. Presented by the Minister of Transport to LONDON: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE 15, Donegall Square West, Belfast; or through any Bookseller. 1927. Price 6d. Net. Cmd. 2941. PAGE Table 3.-Numbers of persons killed or injured by train Table 4.-Numbers of engine-drivers, firemen, guards, &c., killed or injured by train accidents in 1926 Table 5.-Inquiries into train accidents, 1916 to 1926 inclusive.. Table 6.-Numbers of passengers, servants, and other persons killed or injured by accidents connected with the movement of trains and railway vehicles in 1926, classified according to Table 7.-Numbers of persons killed or injured by accidents in connection with the movement of trains, &c., from 1875 to Table 8.-Fatalities and cases of injury to servants classified Table 10.-Analysis of accidents to servants of the railway companies whilst working on the permanent way Inquiries into personal accidents to servants of railway companies Table 11.--Causes to which the accidents to servants were attributed, distinguishing the cases into which inquiries were NOTE. The Returns of Railway Accidents for the year, formerly included as an Appendix to this Report, are now published separately as a Stationery 1 WHITEHALL GARDENS, LONDON, S.W.1. SIR, REPORT. I have the honour to present a Report on the accidents that have occurred in the working of the railways of Great Britain during the year 1926, based on returns made by the Railway Companies under the Regulation of Railways Act, 1871 (Section 6), and on reports upon certain accidents made after inquiry by Officers of this Department. The returns do not include any figures for railways in Ireland except where otherwise noted (Tables 3 and 7). The total route length of the railways in Great Britain open for traffic at the end of the year 1926 was 20,396 miles. The greater portion of this mileage consisted of two or more lines of rails. The total track mileage was 37,058 without sidings, and 52,332 with sidings. The accidents are, as usual, grouped under the three main heads of (I) Train Accidents. (II) Movement Accidents (i.e., accidents caused by the movement of trains and railway vehicles, exclusive of train accidents), and (III) Non-movement Accidents (ie., accidents on railway premises not due to train accidents or to the movement of trains and railway vehicles). They are further subdivided in each of the three groups according as they relate to (A) Passengers, (B) Servants, and (C) Other Persons. It should be noted that all accidents which occur in the working of railways, or on railway premises, to "Passengers" and "Other Persons" are required to be reported, however slight the injuries may be; but, as regards "Servants," only those accidents which cause the servant injured to be absent for at least one whole day from his ordinary work are required to be reported. Any person so severely injured as to die at any subsequent date after the accident, but prior to the date of this Report, is included in the Tables as "Killed." The following Table shows the total number of Persons killed or injured by accidents in connection with the working of railways. (28198) Wt. 9278/4195 675 9/27 Harrow G 5/46. I. By Train Accidents. See Tables 2, 3 and 4.. II. By Movement Accidents. See Tables 6 and 7 III. By Non-Movement Accidents. See Para. III, P. 21 A. Passengers : I. By Train Accidents. See Tables 2 and 3 +374 35 558 342 98 1,716 142 7 3388 ་ 625† B. Servants of Companies or Contractors: * .. C. Other Persons (Exclusive of Trespassers and Suicides): 13 550 374 123,433 | 465 126,393 | -91 Of contractors' servants, 10 were injured under B II, and 1 was killed and 84 were injured under BIII. Of trespassers and suicides 297 were killed and 59 injured under C II and 21 killed and 60 injured under C III in the year 1926; the § Average for years 1919 to 1924. In addition to these figures, accidents were reported by Dock and Harbour Authorities as having occurred on railways owned by them involving 2 killed and 15 injured under B II, and 18 injured under BIII. The following Table gives the number of casualties in the various classes of train accidents. Total 13 739 210 ཌ། 1 27 355 17 323 15 5 230 17 30 18 13 765 2 98 17 54 32 917 The following Table shows the average numbers of persons reported as killed or injured by train accidents for periods of ten years ending 1884, 1894, 1904, and 1914 respectively, and the period of five years 1915-1919; with the separate figures for each year from 1920 to 1926 inclusive. The number of passenger journeys and the train mileage is also given. The "Other Persons consist mainly of persons killed or injured through collisions of trains with road vehicles, or gates, at level crossings, or persons travelling on business in trains, such as Post Office employees. † Exclusive of journeys by season-ticket holders, estimated to amount in 1926 to about 473 millions. Includes 224 killed and 242 injured in double collision at Quintinshill, Caledonian Railway, in 1915. § Figures for 1919. The figures for the years 1915-18 were not obtained from the Railway Companies. (28198) 404 were injured in collision at Gale Street, L.M.S.R. A |