Remembering The Clapham Junction Rail Tragedy
Wreath laying ceremony marks the 30th anniversary in which 35 people lost their lives
Mayor of Wandsworth, Cllr Piers McCausland and the leader of the council Cllr Ravi Govindia at the memorial
Today (12th December) marks the 30th anniversary of the Clapham Junction rail disaster in 1988, when two passenger trains crashed at8.10am outside of Clapham Junction fshortly after a third train collided with the wreckage and a total of 35 people lost their lives and nearly five hundred people were injured.
There was a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial on Spencer Park this morning organised by the London Fire Brigade in partnership with Wandsworth Council and Network Rail. The council was represented by the Mayor of Wandsworth, Cllr Piers McCausland and the leader of the council Cllr Ravi Govindia.
The Mayor laid a wreath and the memorial was followed by a service at St Marks on Battersea Rise. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was also in attendance, along with London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton and representatives from the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police
Cllr McCausland said: “Today was an opportunity to reflect on what happened 30 years ago and remember the people who lost their lives on that tragic day. This terrible event left a scar on our borough, and I want to thank all the people involved in the rescue effort and tell the loved ones of those who died that our thoughts remain with them.”
The Hidden Report, a 1989 inquiry into the crash, said the officers were “to be commended for the speed and scale of the assistance they gave to the emergency services.” The enquiry found that the crash was caused by a signalling failure caused by a faulty wire.
Council staff were involved in the response to the crash 30 years ago – removing undergrowth, cutting railings and carving steps into the bank to aid the rescue efforts. Other staff directed traffic, arranged floodlighting, helped the walking wounded and acted as stretcher-bearers.
December 12, 2018