News story

Dangerous occurrence at Wootton Bassett junction, Wiltshire - Update

Signal passed at danger (SPAD) on the approach to Wootton Bassett junction, Wiltshire, 7 March 2015.

This news article was withdrawn on

This item has been moved to the National Archives as RAIB has published its report describing this incident. See Report 08/2016

Wootton Bassett junction in 2012 - the lines shown from left to right are the Up Goods, Up Badminton, Down Badminton, Up Main and Down Main (image courtesy of Network Rail)

Wootton Bassett junction in 2012 - the lines shown from left to right are the Up Goods, Up Badminton, Down Badminton, Up Main and Down Main (image courtesy of Network Rail)

RAIB is investigating an incident which occurred at around 17:25 hrs on Saturday 7 March 2015, in which train reporting number 1Z67, the 16:35 hrs West Coast Railway Company Ltd (WCRC) charter service from Bristol Temple Meads to Southend, passed signal SN45 at danger (SPAD). The incident occurred on the approach to Wootton Bassett junction, Wiltshire. The train subsequently came to a stand across the junction.

The signal was being maintained at danger to protect the movement of a previous train. However, at the time that the SPAD occurred, this previous train had already passed through the junction and was continuing on its journey. No injuries, damage or derailment occurred as a result of the SPAD.

The web update document provides further information based on the evidence available to RAIB at this stage of the investigation.

Our investigation, which is independent of any investigation by the Office of Rail and Road, is now complete; formal consultation with interested parties will start shortly. We expect to publish the final report in April.

Wootton Bassett web update

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Published 19 October 2015
Last updated 7 March 2016 + show all updates
  1. Update of investigation status explaining the start of the consultation process.

  2. First published.