Published Date:
27 October 2006
AN investigation into the derailment of a Blackpool tram has blamed a hand-points mechanism for the incident.
Tram 720 came off the rails on July 6, near the Pleasure Beach, at 2.45pm, as it was heading south.
No one was injured in the incident and the consequences were minor as the tram was only travelling at about 4mph.
A report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) concluded that the cause of the accident was the fact a hand-points mechanism had not been correctly returned to the normal position, partly because of its stiffness.
It also said the curve in that particular part of the track meant sideways movement of the tram's wheels contributed to the derailment.
The driver stopped the tram as soon as he felt it slew and realised it had been derailed.
The RAIB recommended that Blackpool Transport Services develop and document a method of hand-points operation to make sure the mechanism was not placed in an unstable state.
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Last Updated:
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Blackpool
