Overturning of a tram at Sandilands junction, Croydon
Shortly after 6:00 AM on Wednesday 9 November 2016, a tram travelling from New Addington to Wimbledon on the Croydon Tramlink Network overturned on a curve approaching Sandilands junction. Seven people lost their lives and many more were injured.
Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report
RAIB published their report into the incident on 7 December 2017, making far-reaching recommendations on the tram sector and ORR as its regulator. In line with all other RAIB recommendations, ORR has a statutory obligation to report to RAIB on the status of the recommendations within 12 months of a report being published.
Implementation of many of the recommendations needs coordination on an industry-wide basis and it was therefore appropriate for ORR (as owner of two of the recommendations and given our legal responsibilities in relation to all RAIB recs) to facilitate the initial cross-industry collaboration.
We carefully considered the report and recommendations, including in discussions with the UK tram industry at a sector safety conference held in Manchester on 22 January 2018.
The Light Rapid Transit Safety and Standards Board (LRTSSB) steering group was established following the conference, with the aim of considering recommendations 1-8 on an industry wide basis. ORR sits on the steering group as an observer.
We welcome the cross industry approach that is already being taken to consider how to address the recommendations through the LRTSSB steering group and we encourage all end implementers of these recommendations to participate in that group’s activities.
Our objectives
- To ensure the tram industry takes the right actions in response, in the right order and with suitable pace.
- In particular:
- Reasonably practicable safety improvements are made, with a focus on improving control of risk and preventing (rather than simply mitigating) further accidents;
- Decisions are made based on sound evidence of the level of risk and the costs of intervention;
- Collaboration occurs to support consistent adoption of good practice and consensual decision-making around safety data, risk profiling and standards;
- Tram duty holders take collective ownership of the recommendations, but we hold them to account to demonstrate satisfactory progress.
Publications and updates
- Letter to RAIB giving update on Recommendation 11 pdf icon PDF, 194 Kb - 25 June 2019
- Letter to RAIB giving update on Recommendation 1
pdf icon PDF, 135 Kb 5 April 2019 - Letter to RAIB giving update on Recommendation 9
pdf icon PDF, 431 Kb - 5 April 2019 - Letter to RAIB giving update on Recommendations 3, 4, 5, 7 & 10
pdf icon PDF, 225 Kb - 5 April 2019 - Letter from Ian Prosser pdf icon PDF, 711 Kb - 4 December 2018
- Annex A – ORR initial response to Sandilands RAIB report pdf icon PDF, 778 Kb - 4 December 2018
- Annex B – summary of end implementer correspondence pdf icon PDF, 1,294 Kb - 4 December 2018
- Letter to Tram Operations Ltd with regards to recommendations 10-13 pdf icon PDF, 236 Kb - 14 September 2018
- ORR e-mail to UK Tram with regards to recommendations 1 & 2 pdf icon PDF, 194 Kb - 14 September 2018
- ORR letter to Tram operators, Tram owners and Infrastructure Managers on recommendations 1 - 8 pdf icon PDF, 278 Kb- 3 August 2018
- Learning from Sandilands – Implementing RAIB's recommendations pdf icon PDF, 578 Kb - Presentation by Ian Prosser CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Railways, at the UK Light Rail Conference - 16 July 2018
- Interim response from ORR to RAIB pdf icon PDF, 150 Kb - 6 April 2018
- Letter to the Department for Transport pdf icon PDF, 896 Kb (DfT) - 6 April 2018
- Letter to UK Tram Ltd pdf icon PDF, 448 Kb - 6 April 2018
- ORR response to RAIB recommendations report - Letters to tram industry pdf icon PDF, 543 Kb - 29 March 2018
- ORR response to RAIB recommendations report - Letters to TfL/Tram Operations Ltd pdf icon PDF, 496 Kb - 15 February 2018
- Tram safety conference – ORR expectations pdf icon PDF, 1,026 Kb - Presentation slides by Ian Prosser CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Railways, Office of Rail and Road - 22 January 2018
- Notes of Manchester Tram Summit pdf icon PDF, 403 Kb - 22 January 2018
- Manchester Tram Summit invitation letter pdf icon PDF, 526 Kb - 20 December 2017