Moorgate tube crash hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Moorgate tube crash Stock Photos and Images (135) See moorgate tube crash stock video clips Quick filters: Black & white Page 1 of 2 moorgate tube crash 1975 RF 2JKXG9T - Moorgate Tube Disaster memorial plaque outside Moorgate Station London. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. It is considered the worst peacetime accident on the London Underground. After an inquiry, the accident was blamed on the driver who died in the crash. The last of the 43 fatalities removed from the scene was the trains driver, a 56-year old father of two, Leslie Newson. [25][61], The post-mortem was undertaken on Newson by the Home Office pathologist Keith Simpson on 4 March 1975. The journalist Sally Holloway, in her history of the crash, observes that the number of casualties could have been higher if the girls had been attending school. Transport for London, "Moorgate Tube crash memorial unveiled in Finsbury Square". It was the bizarre lack of any action on the part of the driver, Leslie Newson, that caused the crash. Sixty-one witnesses gave evidence. The third car was damaged at both ends, more significantly at the leading end as it rode over the second. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Before his shift began he had a cup of tea and shared his sugar with a colleague; he jokingly said to the colleague "Go easy on it, I shall want another cup when I come off duty". Oxygen levels dropped from the norm of 21per cent to 16per cent and the smell of decomposition from the bodies trapped in the wreckage was noticed by workers. The most mysterious fact surrounding the crash came from two rail workers who were on the platform when Train 272 arrived. David Paul asked Simpson to comment on the findings relating to alcohol levels. That sounds like a man who is getting the feeling of how to run a train into a wall".[79]. Although this concept for a transportation system was first proposed in the 1830s, permission to construct was only granted in 1854. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. [22] The second coach was forced under the rear of the first, which buckled at three points into the shape of a V with a tail, and had its rear forced into the tunnel roof. Sign up for MyLondon's FREE newsletters here. During 1 and 2 March the wreckage of the second carriage was cut away in sections and winched free; clearance of the carriages continued round the clock until a break was forced by a telephoned bomb scare at 10:00pm on 2 March, which forced the crews to evacuate the station. Dimensions: 4096 x 2731 px | 34.7 x 23.1 cm | 13.7 x 9.1 inches | 300dpi Disasters and Accidents - Moorgate Tube Crash - Memorial Service - St Paul's Cathedral RM Image ID: G7HRWB Preview Image details Contributor: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo File size: 32 MB (1.1 MB Compressed download) Releases: Model - no | Property - no Do I need a release? [82], London Underground services into Moorgate on the Northern City Line had previously been scheduled to be replaced by British Rail services from Welwyn Garden City and Hertford; the accident did not change the plan. No need to register, buy now! [50] Temperatures improved after a company donated an air conditioning unit, which was installed at ground level, and the air piped down into the tunnel.[51]. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. At around 6pm Frank Nice, a firefighter at Paddington red watch, took over the rescue operation where he was ordered to the front of the train to assist with the rescue of Jeffrey Benton, 27, and Margaret Liles, a 19-year-old police officer. As he advanced past the first carriage, Steve found crews had already started working to release people trapped in the wreckage. His head was to the left of the dead man's handle which had been forced upwards, beyond its normal travel, and was resting on his right shoulder. moorgate crash photos INTRO OFFER!!! [66] An analysis of Newson's kidneys by the toxicologist Anne Robinson showed his blood alcohol level at the time of the post-mortem was 80mg/100ml. Find Moorgate Tube Crash stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. [84], When platform 9 reopened there had been changes introduced to aid drivers. We were right at the very front of the train about 10 to 12 feet behind the driver's cab. The week before the Moorgate train crash, another guard had reported that Newsons train overshot the stop at another station. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. No fault was found with the train, and the inquiry by the Department of the Environment concluded that the accident was caused by the actions of Leslie Newson, the 56-year-old driver. What they dont know is why it happened. Firefighter Steve Gleeson, who was part of Lambeth blue watch that day, said: "We were immediately told to get our spreading and cutting gear and take it down to the platform level. Tests showed that Newson had a blood alcohol level of 80mg/100 mlthe level at which one can be prosecuted for drink-drivingthough the alcohol may have been produced by the natural decomposition process over four days at a high temperature. [5][6] The approach to Moorgate from Old Street station, the stop prior to the terminus, was on a falling gradient of 1 in 150 for 196 metres (642ft) before levelling out for 71 metres (233ft) to platform 9; a scissors crossover was located just prior to platforms 9 and 10. According to Joseph Milner, the chief fire officer of the London Fire Brigade, the body gave "the first indication of how protracted would be the work ahead". These showed that because of the station lighting, it was impossible to clearly see the driver's eyes. You May Also Like: Five Strange Trains Around the World. [33], By around 9:00am the last casualty had been removed from the third carriage. She added "there are so many unknown factors here that it is difficult to be precise and definite. HGV driver tries to warn motorist moments before crash 1 users rated this 4 out of 5 stars 1. In fact, his hand was still holding the brake. All it needed was to be put back into position. Previously it had always been standard policy for the last signal indication before a buffer-stop or bay platform to indicate "clear" (green) light to the train driver and "caution" (single-yellow) light if the platform was partly occupied. While we were working on the roof of the cab, Paddington's crew were working on freeing a woman below.". Select from premium Moorgate Tube Crash of the highest quality. [62] Initial findings showed no drugs or alcohol in Newson's bloodstream, and there was no evidence of liver damage from heavy drinking. [19] Witnesses standing on the platform saw Newson sitting upright and facing forward, his uniform neat and still wearing his hat; his hands appeared to be on the train's controls as far as they could tell.[20]. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. (0) Latest Events; Collections; Creative Work; Lightboxes; Sign in Sign out; Contact us; My Account; Basket (0) Any date Last 24 hours Last 48 hours Last 7 days . Robert Harris, the 18-year-old guard who had started working for London Underground in August 1974, was late and joined the train when it returned to Moorgate at 6:53am; a driver waiting to go on duty took his place until his arrival. [73] McNaughton observed that because of Harris's lack of experience, he could not have taken any action to stop the accident from happening, although he thought the young man "displayed himself as idle and undisciplined". It remains one of the darkest days in the history of the London Underground after a devastating crash left 43 people dead and 74 people injured. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Shouts were made for any people trapped to respond; there were no responses and the site medical officer declared that all the remaining bodies in the wreckage were dead. When all was said and done, the Moorgate Tube Crash had left 43 dead and 74 injured, making it the worst peacetime accident in the history of the London Underground, which at the time typically smoothly serviced 3 million people a day with few accidents and was considered one of the safest forms of transportation around. They looked saw Newson sitting in the drivers seat. [1] The first line opened in 1863 and by 1975 the network contained 250 miles (400km) of route track; that year three million people used the service each day. From X-rays it was clear that at the moment of the crash Newson's hand was on the dead man's handle. The first call to the emergency services was received at 8:48am; the London Ambulance Service arrived at 8:54am[27] and the London Fire Brigade at 8:57am. The Moorgate train crash took place on February 28, 1975, at 8:46 am on the London Undergrounds Northern City Line. Forty three people were killed and 74 were injured. His post-mortem found no medical reason to explain the accident and a definite cause has never been established. It took a further four days to extract the last body, that of Newson; his cab, normally 91 centimetres (3ft) deep, had been crushed to 15 centimetres (6in). The station contains ten platforms; numbers 7 to 10 are deep level, and numbers 9 and 10 are used for the Northern City Line service. Moorgate is an interchange between the Underground network and suburban overground services. It was all over in no time. Instead the blame fell wholly on the 56-year-old driver, Leslie Newson. Moorgate Crash Stock Photos and Images (153) Narrow your search: Black & white Page 1 of 2 Memorial to the Moorgate trash crash at Moorgate Station London in 1975 ID: E1PBTF (RM) Memorial plaque for the Moorgate Underground Station crash in 1975. Unearthed photos show the devastating aftermath of the Moorgate tube crash. [49] Those working on the platform or tunnel were restricted to 20-minute spells working, followed by 40minutes' recovery time on the surface. The Moorgate tube crash occurred on 28 February 1975 at 8:46 am on the London Underground's Northern City Line; 43 people died and 74 were injured after a train failed to stop at the line's southern terminus, Moorgate station, and crashed into its end wall. At the end of platform 9 in 1975 was a red warning light atop a post, situated in front of a 61-centimetre-high (2ft) sand drag placed to stop overrunning trains. Accept Read More, Terrifying Letters: The Watcher House of Westfield, NJ. [7] There was a speed limit of 40 miles per hour (64km/h) on the line, and a limit of 15 miles per hour (24km/h) on entry into Moorgate station. It is considered the worst peacetime accident on the London Underground. London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and City of London Police attended. If the pressure is reduced, the train's brakes are automatically applied. Organise, control, distribute, and measure all of your digital content. It was impossible to estimate the number [of casualties] involved with any degree of accuracy because the lighting was poor, the victims were all tangled together, and everything was covered with a thick layer of black dust. [25] It was, and remains, the worst peacetime accident on the Underground.[26]. Robinson stated that there were several biological processes that produced alcohol in the body after death, and it was not possible to reach a definite conclusion as to whether this was the result of consumption of alcohol or a product of the process of decomposition.