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Society & Culture

Signals to Danger

by Daniel Fox
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Latest episodes

  • Surbiton - 1971

    October 11, 2026 · 56 min

    On 4 July 1971, a ballast train passing through Surbiton derailed into the path of a Portsmouth Harbour passenger service approaching at 72 miles an hour. The collision left the leading passenger carriage on its side, damaged both trains…

  • Bedford: What we know & what we don't

    October 4, 2026 · 42 min

    Bedford: What We Know and What We Don’t On 19 June 2026, two passenger trains collided near Elstow, south of Bedford. Driver Shaun Burton lost his life, and at least 160 people were injured. RAIB has now published its interim report. In…

  • Linslade Tunnel - 1982

    September 27, 2026 · 51 min

    In the early hours of 9 December 1982, a late-running sleeper service departed London Euston for Glasgow. Ahead of it, a freight train had passed through Linslade Tunnel carrying prefabricated railway components. One of those components…

  • The Wrong Type of Leaves - RSR

    September 20, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

    “The wrong kind of leaves” has become one of the railway’s most frequently mocked excuses—but leaves on the line create a genuine and potentially serious safety problem. In this episode of Signals to Danger, we explore how fallen leaves…

  • Talerddig - 2024

    September 13, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

    On 21 October 2024, two Transport for Wales trains collided head-on near Talerddig on the Cambrian Line. It was a route controlled using ETCS — one of the most advanced signalling systems in use on the British railway — yet the accident…

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  • How Britain Prevents Broken Rails - Rail Safety Review

    September 6, 2026 · 43 min

    How does the railway find a crack hidden inside a solid steel rail—and what happens when it does? In this Rail Safety Review, we explore how rails become damaged, the development of metal fatigue and rolling-contact fatigue, and the…

  • Hither Green - 1967

    September 1, 2026 · 53 min

    On the evening of 5 November 1967, a packed passenger train was making an otherwise ordinary journey from Hastings towards London Charing Cross when, on the approach to Hither Green, its third coach suddenly derailed at around 70 mph. What…

  • Flash Briefing - Wickford Derailment

    August 29, 2026 · 5 min

    On 14 August 2026, a London-bound passenger train derailed while approaching Wickford in Essex, with its rearmost vehicle travelling for around 1.5 miles while derailed before the train came to a stand. In this Flash Briefing, we look at…

  • Flash Briefing - Lewes Derailment

    August 21, 2026 · 15 min

    On 13 August 2026, Southern service 1F34 was approaching Lewes when the rear three vehicles of the eight-car train derailed and overturned on the railway embankment. A week on, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has released an update…

  • Rail Safety Review - 3rd August 2026

    August 3, 2026 · 28 min

    This time on Rail Safety Review, we’re looking at a couple of recent RAIB reports — including something we haven’t covered before: a discontinuation report following a tram derailment at Manchester Piccadilly. Then we head to Sheffield to…

  • Watford - 1996

    July 26, 2026 · 59 min

    Before two trains collided outside Watford Junction in 1996, every safeguard appeared to be in place. This week on Signals to Danger, we examine a crash that left investigators asking whether the cause lay with the driver, the signalling…

  • Rail Safety Review - Level Crossing Safety

    July 19, 2026 · 50 min

    This month's Rail Safety Review takes a closer look at one of the railway's most persistent risks: level crossings. Following the latest developments in the RAIB investigation into the collision at Hoghton level crossing, we explore why…

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About the show

The UK's rail network is one of the safest in the world, but this is a reputation that has been hard-won through a dark history of death and destruction. Each of these accidents has helped to prevent another in the future. Signals to Danger is a series of Podcasts exploring and explaining the worst disasters on the UK rail network. Using reports, inquiries, news articles and first hand accounts, we will dive deep into these accidents and understand what went wrong, who was effected and how each incident went on to change the railway going forwards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.