Fairly bright today after a very chilly start; the mercury went down to only just above freezing through the night. Up at 11C / 52F as I type.
It is 10 years ago today that a fatal train crash at Ladbrooke Grove, a few miles west of Paddington Station in London, claimed 31 lives and injured more than 400 others. An outbound local service had failed to note a red signal, and moved into the path of an incoming express, which was travelling at high speed. Although both drivers applied brakes, the trains collided with a combined speed of 80 mph. The collision was followed by a fierce fire, in which a large number of the dead perished. Both trains were diesel powered. At 8.11 am this morning, survivors and relatives of the deceased gathered at the memorial at Paddington.Two other rail disasters followed within 5 years: in October 2000, the Intercity from King's Cross to Leeds left the tracks outside Hatfield, Hertfordshire, due to a broken rail, claiming 4 lives. The eerie thing for me personally was that I had travelled on the same service, the 12.00 to Leeds, exactly a week before. Two years later, a train derailed at Potter's Bar, not far from Hatfield. The deathtoll here was 7.
Something similar happened to me Guido. I visited Manchester exactly one week before the IRA bombed it. The hair stood up on the back of my neck when I wondered what 'If' which then led me to wonder about 'Fate'.
ReplyDeleteJeanie
What a horrible accident. I read through the survivors stories and the poor family who lost their daughter. Very sad to read, one can feel the pain even 10 years on.
ReplyDeleteGee Guido that must have been erie indeed! M Condolences to the families of the victims, hugs, natalie
ReplyDeleteP.s. thanks for your comments int eh past..please come by again!
hugs,natalie