Collision between two passenger trains near Elstow

Investigation into a collision between two passenger trains near Elstow, Bedfordshire, 19 June 2026.

View of the accident site – train 1H46 is to the left and train 1B67 to the right of the image.

At around 17:15 on Friday 19 June 2026, train 1H46, the 16:40 East Midlands Railway service from Corby to London St Pancras, collided with train 1B67, the 15:50 service from Nottingham to London St Pancras, also operated by East Midlands Railway. The collision took place on Network Rail’s Midland Main Line approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Bedford station.

The driver of train 1H46 died as a result of the accident. 162 people were injured, 102 of whom required hospital treatment. At the time of writing, 53 people remain in hospital, 8 in a critical condition. Significant damage was caused to both trains, which also partially derailed.

Aerial view of the accident site – train 1H46 is to the left and train 1B67 to the right of the image.

RAIB was notified of the accident at 17:27 and immediately deployed a team to the site, with the first inspector arriving at 18:26. RAIB continues to work alongside the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road, and the railway companies involved to secure the necessary evidence to support our independent safety investigation.

The on-train data recorders (OTDR, sometimes called ‘black boxes’) from the trains have been recovered. Some of these recorders were located within damaged parts of the trains and could only be extracted during recovery operations. CCTV recordings, signalling data and recordings of radio communications have also been obtained. The vehicles involved have been surveyed for internal and external damage including using laser scanning, and an aerial survey. RAIB inspectors are also overseeing the testing of signalling equipment in the area.