2026 Bedford train collision

The collision happened on the Midland Main Line south of Elstow, near Bedford. Two East Midlands Railway trains were involved: a five-car Class 810 unit from Nottingham to London and a four-car Class 360 unit from Corby to London. The first train stopped unexpectedly because its Automatic Warning System made the brakes apply. The second train, travelling at about 76 miles per hour, passed two caution signals before hitting the stationary train at roughly 49 miles per hour. The impact caused significant damage and partial derailment to both trains. The crash left one driver dead and 162 people injured, with 102 needing hospital treatment. Emergency services sent six or seven air ambulances, more than 20 road ambulances and over 70 firefighters to the scene. BBC Radio London presenter JoAnne Good was among the injured passengers. Recovery teams used two 110-tonne rail cranes to remove the damaged carriages and rebuilt 600 metres of track before services resumed on 29 June. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch began a full inquiry into the causes. Visitors to the site after the collision would have seen damaged carriages being lifted by heavy cranes and a temporary access road built across the tracks. Overhead lines were removed to allow the cranes to work, and low loaders carried the wreckage away by road. The line between Luton and Bedford remained closed until 28 June, with engineering work already planned for the following weekends. The crash site became a focus for safety reviews and union strikes over the Class 810 trains.