Dagenham East rail crash

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Dagenham East rail crash
Dagenham East rail crash (Greater London)
Dagenham East rail crash
Details
Date and time: 30 January 1958 19:34
Location: Dagenham East
Rail line: LT&SR (BR Eastern Region)
Cause Signal passed at danger
Statistics
Trains: 2
Passengers: ~1,000
Deaths: 10
Injuries: 89
List of UK rail accidents by year

The Dagenham East rail crash was a railway accident on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line of British Railways which occurred at Dagenham, United Kingdom.

The accident took place at around 19:34 on 30 January 1958 and was a rear-end collision of two late-running trains. Conditions at Dagenham East station were foggy at the time. The accident occurred after one train had passed a signal indicating danger due to a driver error. Ten people were killed in the accident and 89 injured.

The trains involved were the 18:20 Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness and the 18:35 Fenchurch Street to Thorpe Bay. Both trains were steam hauled and consisted of 11 coaches, carrying approximately 500 passengers each. The 18:35 train ploughed into the back of the 18:20 departure which demolished three carriages and derailed several others. The locomotive of the 18:35 train and leading carriage were derailed. Some wreckage blocked the adjacent London Underground line but did not cause any further accidents.

One of the locomotives involved in this accident (80079) survives today at the Severn Valley Railway.

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