A FULL investigation has been launched into the derailment of a train in Audenshaw.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) told The Correspondent it may take a deeper look into the incident at Sidmouth Street on Friday, September 6.
Freight wagons left the tracks and settled close to homes both on that road and Thornley Rise, with a number left at an angle.
Fortunately, no-one was injured after residents reported hearing a loud screeching sound.
Now the RAIB has revealed a full probe into the circumstances and the effects is being launched after the incident caused damage to the infrastructure, with attention being paid to the bridge.
Whether the rail, which only carries freight locomotives, was up to the job will be one consideration.
In an interim report, the RAIB said: “At around 11:25am on September 6, 2024, a freight train travelling between Peak Forest and Salford derailed as it passed over a bridge in Audenshaw, Manchester.
“The train involved was made up of two class 66 locomotives and 24 wagons, which were loaded with aggregate.
“The two locomotives and the leading 10 wagons passed safely over the bridge, but the next nine derailed, with the last coming to a stand on the bridge itself.
“No injuries were caused by the accident. However, the derailment caused substantial damage to railway infrastructure and damaged some of the wagons involved.
“Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events that led to the accident. It will also consider the condition of the infrastructure at the time of the derailment, the status and condition of the wagons involved and any underlying management factors.
“Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.”