Rail worker in near miss days before fatal hit

An investigation has begun after a rail worker narrowly avoided being hit by a train when they jumped clear of the line about a second before it passed.

It happened at around 23:41 GMT on 7 March at Harpenden, Hertfordshire, eight days before another rail worker was killed on the same line by Radlett.

The worker involved in the near miss was an engineering supervisor who was placing marker boards on the track, investigators said.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said it would seek to identify the sequence of events which led to the incident involving the train travelling to London.

The worker was nearly hit by a train operated by Govia Thameslink Railway, which was travelling at 62mph (100km/h), the board said.

They had accessed the railway at their designated point by the fast line before placing the marker boards..

Both slow lines had been blocked to rail traffic so that work would be carried out safely overnight between Radlett and Flitwick, Bedfordshire.

Forward-facing CCTV from the train showed that, as it approached, the engineering supervisor was walking on the fast line in the direction of London, which had remained open to traffic.

The supervisor became aware of the approaching train and jumped clear just before it passed them.

The RAIB said it would look into the way in which access to the tracks was planned; how the risks were managed and the roles and responsibilities of relevant staff.

Regarding the fatality on 15 March in the Radlett area, a spokesperson said previously that a "decision on whether an investigation will be conducted will be made once the evidence has been reviewed".

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