Severe wheel flat led to freight derailment

Five bogie wagons, each carrying 80 tonnes of cement, derailed at Petteril Bridge Junction (Carlisle) on October 19 2022. One ended up in the River Petteril (RAIL 969).

An investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch established that the leading wheelset on the ninth tank wagon, a VTG-owned JPA, had stopped rotating, leading to a very large wheel flat.

This most likely occurred after normal braking for a 30mph limit, in an area affected by leaf fall. Most freight wagons are not fitted with wheel slide protection equipment. Examination of the wagon’s brakes found no faults that would have caused the wheel flat, leading RAIB to rule out a number of possible causes.

Read this article in full in RAIL Issue 994 here

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