Q20.05. 1988 Clapham Junction Accident.

Query Corner – top page

A member, writing a book on the 1988 Clapham Junction accident and the lessons it still holds for today’s railway, is looking at what may have happened if different rolling stock was involved. 

With the introduction of Class 442s, built to Mark III standards, on Waterloo-Weymouth services they are likely to have been more crashworthy than the Mark I stock involved in the accident. This may have had a bearing on the outcome of the collision if 1B08, the 06:14 from Poole, had been rostered for a 442 on the morning of 12th December 1988.

Would 1B08 have been likely to have been worked by a 442 had deliveries of the units been on time and what were the actual first 442 diagrams and what did they end up being when deliveries were complete?  (Greg Morse: 20515)