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| Ditton Junction rail crash | |
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| Details | |
| Date | 17 September 1912 |
| Location | Ditton Junction |
| Coordinates | 53°21′23″N2°46′09″W / 53.35634°N 2.76918°W /53.35634; -2.76918 |
| Country | England |
| Line | London and North Western Railway |
| Cause | Driver misread signals |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 15 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
Ditton Junction is nearWidnes on the Liverpool spur of the formerLondon and North Western Railway. This complex junction had eight running lines and associated signal gantries. On 17 September 1912 the 17:30Chester toLiverpool express was signalled to cross from the fast to the slow line, but the driver, Robert Hughes, age 41, from Llangwstenin, Conwy, who had little experience of the junction and had never been switched here before, misread the signals and thought he had a clear run through. The crossover had a speed limit of 15 mph but the train hit it at 60 mph. The locomotive, a2-4-0 of thePrecedent class turned on its side and travelled some distance, striking the pier of an overbridge (partially demolishing it) and breaking in two. The six carriages following ploughed over the engine and were all destroyed - forming a heap of wreckage between the station platforms. Punctured gaslighting cylinders ignited, turning the scene into an inferno. The driver, fireman and 13 passengers were killed.
Blame was attributed byHoratio Arthur Yorke to the driver for not applying for a pilot at Chester. The confusing signalling at the junction was also criticised.
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‡ indicates railway accidents and incidents resulting in at least 20 fatalities § indicates the deadliest railway accident in British history 1815–1899   2000–present | |