An interim report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has revealed that the red signal which was passed a few seconds before the rear-end collision south of Bedford on 19 June this year was not equipped with a SPAD alarm. The driver of the second train was killed, and more than 160 people were injured.

The arrival of autumn means that fleets of Network Rail’s special ‘leaf-busting’ trains are setting out on their journeys today. They will travel for a total of 6,200 hours -- the equivalent of 36 weeks -- in their annual bid to keep railheads clean, because fallen leaves create a black film, rather like dry ice, which can make it difficult for trains to stop and also cause damage to motors if the wheels slip.