Near miss with a track worker at Harpenden
Investigation into a near miss between a passenger train and a track worker at Harpenden, Hertfordshire, 7 March 2026.
The site of the incident (courtesy of Network Rail).
At around 23:41 on Saturday 7 March 2026, a passenger train operated by Govia Thameslink Railway, which was travelling at 62 mph (100 km/h) on the Down Fast line, was involved with a near miss with a track worker at Harpenden, Bedfordshire.
The track worker involved was an engineering supervisor who had entered the railway from their designated access point, adjacent to the Down Fast line, to place work site marker boards on the Up and Down Slow lines. Both these lines had been blocked to rail traffic as part of an overnight possession between Radlett Junction and Flitwick Junction.
Forward-facing CCTV from the train shows that, as it approached, the engineering supervisor was walking on the Down Fast line, which remained open to traffic. The supervisor became aware of the approaching train and jumped clear of the line approximately 1 second before it passed them.
Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events which led to the incident. It will also consider:
- the actions of those involved and the factors that may have influenced them
- the way in which gaining access to the Up and Down Slow lines to place work site marker boards was planned
- how the risks associated with being on or near a railway line were being managed
- the roles, responsibilities and working patterns of relevant staff
- any underlying management factors.
Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.