Great Western Railway accidents

This list includes notable accidents on railways that were later amalgamated with the Great Western Railway.

• Sonning Cutting, 24 December 1841 – 10 killed, 17 injured: train ran into landslide caused by heavy rain.[6]
• On 24 May 1847, GWR Prince Class locomotive Queen was nearing Southall with an up express from Exeter when one of the 7' driving wheel tyres broke. A fragment killed two drovers on a passing down train, which was derailed by another fragment. Remarkably, the express continued over Wharncliffe Viaduct to stop at Hanwell, then continued to Paddington without the tyre.[7]
• On 10 May 1848, at Shrivenham, the up express headed by Iron Duke class Sultan collided with a horse box and cattle van that had been temporarily shunted onto the running line. Although the locomotive continued without derailment, the two wagons were thrown onto the platform, rebounded, and tore into the side of the leading coach of the express. Six passengers died, and thirteen were injured.[8]
• On 27 June 1849, the boiler of Hercules class locomotive Goliah exploded whilst it was hauling a freight train at Plympton on the South Devon Railway. One person was killed.[9]
• In 1850, an excursion train collided with a horsebox at Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. Following this accident, trap points and scotch blocks are provided at all sidings leading onto running lines.[10]
• On 20 October 1850, the special train celebrating the opening of the GWR broad gauge route to Birmingham, drawn by Iron Duke class Lord of the Isles and driven by Daniel Gooch, the GWR's locomotive engineer, crashed into a stationary mixed train at Aynho. Due to the stability of the broad gauge, neither train derailed, and only six injuries were reported (all in the stationary train). Lord of the Isles was unable to proceed, so the engine of the mixed train pulled the special to Banbury; it never reached Birmingham.[11]
• On 28 November 1852, a passenger train was derailed at Gatcombe, Gloucestershire.[12]
• Grove viaduct, 6 May 1859 – just two days after the opening of the Cornwall Railway a train was derailed near St Germans and fell off a viaduct killing three of the train crew.[13]
• On 28 June 1865, a ballast train derailed at Bruton, Somerset. The driver and fireman were killed.[14]
• On 5 November 1868, 4-4-0 locomotive Rob Roy was in a rear-end collision with a cattle train at Awse Junction, near Newnham, Gloucestershire.[15]
• Menheniot, 2 December 1873 (Cornwall Railway) – head-on collision on single line; no casualties: misunderstood signalman's verbal order.[13]
• Shipton-on-Cherwell, 24 December 1874; 34 killed, 69 injured: carriage tyre broke, derailed train on bridge over canal.[16]
• On 16 February 1880, a freight train was derailed when it ran into a large rock that had fallen onto the line 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) south of Chepstow, Monmouthshire.[17]
• On 12 November 1890, A boat train was in collision with a freight train at Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset due to errors by the guard of the freight train and the signalman. Ten people were killed and nine were injured.[15]
• On 8 March 1891, the locomotive of a relief passenger train was derailed near Camborne, Cornwall in blizzard conditions.[12]
• On 12 November 1894, a passenger train was derailed at Yetminster, Dorset when the track was damaged by flooding.[12]
• On 13 April 1895, A double-headed passenger train derailed between Doublebois and Bodmin Road, Cornwall due to damaged track.[15]
• Menheniot, 9 February 1897 – reconstruction of Coldrennick Viaduct: workman's platform fell: 12 killed.[18]
• Menheniot, 15 November 1897 – reconstruction of Trevido Viaduct: accident raising a heavy timber: 2 killed.[18]
• In 1898, a mail train was derailed near Penryn, Cornwall due to defective track and the oscillation of the locomotive hauling it. Following this accident, the 3521 Class locomotives were rebuilt as tender locomotives.[15]

• In 1898 Walter Peart and Henry Dean were the driver and fireman of the Great Western train known as the Windsor Express. On 18 July 1898, they were driving the 4:15 train from Windsor to Paddington when, just outside Acton, the connecting rod broke. Part of it was driven through the boiler casing and caused damage to the firebox which overwhelmed the men with cinders, steam and fire. They succeeded in applying the brake and bringing the train to a safe standstill before leaving the engine at Acton station.[19]
• On 16 June 1900, an express passenger train overran signals and crashed into the rear of a passenger train at Slough, Berkshire. Five people were killed and 35 were injured.[20]
• In 1904, an express passenger train was derailed at Loughor, Glamorgan due to excessive speed. Five people were killed and eighteen were injured.[20]
• Thingley Junction, 16 January 1907 – Signal passed at danger: 0 killed, 12 injured.[21]
• On 8 August 1913, a train overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with a passenger train at Yeovil Pen Mill station, Somerset. Two people were killed.[22]
• On 17 June 1914, an excursion train departed from Reading station, Berkshire against signals. An express passenger train was in a sidelong collision with it, killing one person.[23]
• On 3 January 1925, a freight train was derailed at Tir Phil, Glamorgan when the trackbed was washed away.[22]
• On 4 March 1933, a passenger train was struck by falling rocks at Vriog, Merionethshire. The locomotive and its tender were pushed into the Irish Sea, killing both crew.[22]
• On 15 January 1936, a freight train became divided near Shrivenham, Berkshire. Due to errors by its guard and a signalman, an express passenger train crashed into the six wagons that had neen left behind. Two people were killed.[15]
• On 1 March 1937, a passenger train was in collision with a freight train at Langley, Buckinghamshire. One person was killed and six people were injured.[15]
• On 16 November 1937, a steam railcar overran signals and crashed into the signal box at Ealing Broadway, Middlesex.[15]
• On 19 August 1938, a passenger train was sent into a siding at Newport High Street station, Monmouthshire due to a signalman's error. Three people were injured.[24]
• Norton Fitzwarren, 4 November 1940 – 27 killed: driver misunderstood signal layout, drove off track.
• On 2 July 1941, an express passenger train and a freight train were in a head-on collision at Slough, Berkshire. Five people were killed and 21 were injured.[25]

• List of British rail accidents by death toll