Grayrigg mystery

The interim report into the Grayrigg train derailment puts much emphasis on the faulty Lambrigg 2B facing points.

But did these points cause the catastrophic derailment? Aerial pictures clearly indicate the derailed train continued for several hundred metres (the report confirms 600) after the points.

The pictures clearly indicate it then met a set of trailing points (could these be Lambrigg 2A?) As with the Selby crash, these would have yanked the derailed bogies sideways, toppling the train over the embankment.

Without these points, it may well have made a controlled stop and remained on the line.

It would be interesting to get comments from railway engineers.

P Field

St Albans, Herts