The United Kingdom Rail Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the collision of a tram and two pedestrians at a Sheffield crossing in June.
At around 4:14 p.m. on June 22, a tram on the Sheffield Supertram network hit two pedestrians on a crossing at Staniforth Road in Sheffield. The tram was travelling at around 15 mph at the time of the collision.
The pedestrians, who were young people, were both injured, one of them seriously.
The crossing is situated just to the south of the road junction where Woodbourn Road meets Staniforth Road. At the time of the accident, the two pedestrians, who had previously travelled north along Woodbourn Road, were moving eastwards over the crossing.
The road junction is protected by road traffic lights and tram signals, and signs and road markings inform crossing users of the presence of trams and instruct them to look both ways before crossing. Users approaching the crossing from Woodbourn Road are separated from the tramway by a fence.
This is around 44 metres long and ends at the crossing.
Our investigation will aim to determine the sequence of events that led to the mishap. It will also consider: the actions of those involved and the factors that may have influenced them, the audibility of warnings to users by trams at such crossings, the instruction and assessment of tram drivers and the management of risk at this crossing and the wider strategy of South Yorkshire Future Tram Ltd (the operator of the Supertram system) for identifying, assessing and mitigating risks at crossings such as that at Staniforth Road.
It will also consider any underlying management factors.
The investigation is independent of any investigation by the tramway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.
We will publish our findings, including any recommendations for improving safety, upon the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
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