Local news report from the Meridian region of ITV about the Maidstone East train crash in 1993.
A drunk driver’s speeding goods train demolished the main-line commuter station, leaving a scene of total devastation.
British Rail driver Graham Barnes had drunk the equivalent of a bottle of vodka when his steel-laden goods train ploughed into Maidstone East Station at 2.12am on Monday September 6, 1993.
With his train speed too high for the heavy load, the locomotive sped into the curve on the approach to Maidstone East statation at such a speed that the wagons overturned, smashing into the platform, demolishing buildings and causing more than £2 million of damage to the station and rolling stock.
Commuters arriving later that morning were shocked to discover their station wrecked, and had to use special bus services to get to nearby stations.
BR Southern Region spent £700,000 and took seven months to repair damage and refurbish the station.
The report also highlights the Cannon Street crash in 1991 when the driver of the 07:51 service from Sevenoaks hit the buffers and 4 commuters died. The driver Morris Graham was found to have Cannabis in his blood and was a contributory factor in the crash.
14 окт 2024
