place

Glasgow Bellgrove rail accident

1980s in Glasgow1989 in ScotlandAccidents and incidents involving Regional RailwaysDisasters in GlasgowMarch 1989 events in the United Kingdom
Rail accidents caused by a driver's errorRailway accidents in 1989Railway accidents involving a signal passed at dangerTrain collisions in ScotlandTransport in GlasgowUse British English from April 2017

On 6 March 1989, two Class 303 commuter trains crashed on the Springburn branch of the North Clyde Line, just east of Bellgrove station in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland. Driver Mr. Hugh Kennan, aged 62 of Maryhill, and passenger Mr. Robert McCaffrey, aged 58, a retired rail worker from Scotstoun, died in the crash and 53 people were injured.The accident was of a type known as "ding-ding, and away". It was caused primarily by a signal passed at danger (SPAD) in conjunction with the single-lead junction track layout, where two lines converged into one just beyond the platform end and then diverged again – a layout which is simpler to maintain but is vulnerable in the event of a SPAD. This type of junction has been implicated in other accidents, notably to the south-east of Glasgow in the Newton rail accident just a couple of years later. Both trains were travelling at 40 mph (65 km/h), so the collision speed was 80 mph (130 km/h). The force of the impact was so severe that at least one passenger was thrown out of his seat and completely destroyed one of the "A" frame back-to-back seats. An official report, delivered in May 1990, determined that the Milngavie-to-Springburn train had passed the signal at danger, causing a collision with the Springburn-to-Milngavie service.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Glasgow Bellgrove rail accident (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Glasgow Bellgrove rail accident
Bellfield Street Footbridge, Glasgow Gallowgate

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Glasgow Bellgrove rail accidentContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 55.856388888889 ° E -4.22 °
placeShow on map

Address

Bellfield Street Footbridge

Bellfield Street Footbridge
G31 1RL Glasgow, Gallowgate
Scotland, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Share experience

Nearby Places

Duke Street Prison

Duke Street Prison (also known as Bridewell or the Northern or North Prison) was one of eight prisons which served Glasgow and its surrounding area prior to the mid nineteenth century. An early example of the 'separate system', it was noted in 1841 that Duke Street Prison was Scotland's only 'well managed prison'.Duke Street Prison received its first inmates in 1798. The passing in 1839 of An Act to Improve Prisons and Prison Discipline started the creation of a centralised prison system which resulted in the closure of many of Scotland's smaller prisons. Between 1839 and 1862, seven of Glasgow's prisons were closed, leaving only the Duke Street Prison. Further legislation in 1860 and 1877 brought the management of Scottish prisons under the control of the state and led to the building of larger prison complexes. After 1882, male prisoners from Duke Street were moved to the newly built prison HM Prison Barlinnie in the Eastern suburbs of Glasgow. Duke Street Prison then operated as a women's prison until 1955. The building was demolished in 1958 to eventually make way for the Ladywell housing scheme which was built on the site from 1961–1964 and stands till this day. The only remaining structure of Duke Street Prison is some of the boundary wall.Living conditions within the prison became the subject of a Glasgow street song, sung to the tune of 'There Is a Happy Land'. There is a happy land, doon Duke Street Jail, Where a' the prisoners stand, tied tae a nail. Ham an' eggs they never see, dirty watter fur yer tea; there they live in misery God Save the Queen!