Train crash driver died from traumatic injuries

The driver of a train involved in a fatal crash near Bedford died from traumatic injuries to his brain and chest, an inquest has been told. Shaun Burton, 60, was driving the East Midlands Railway train that collided with another service at Elstow on June 19, an incident that left 162 people injured, with 102 requiring hospital treatment.

The inquest into Burton's death opened in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, and was adjourned pending further reports from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and British Transport Police. Senior Coroner for Bedfordshire and Luton, Emma Whitting, confirmed the adjournment. A consultant pathologist identified the cause of death as traumatic injuries to the brain stem and chest, with further investigations pending.

Burton, who lived in Cambridgeshire and had previously served as a parish and district councillor, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was formally identified by the Fingerprint Identification Bureau on June 25. The coroner's report noted that Burton's train had activated its brakes for approximately nine seconds before the impact, reducing its speed from 76 mph to 49 mph at the time of the collision.

An interim report from the RAIB stated that Burton's train proceeded past a red signal moments before the crash. The other train, which was stationary, had come to an unexpected stop due to a fault with its Automatic Warning System (AWS) equipment, investigators found. Data indicated the train's brakes were applied for about nine seconds before the collision.

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traumatic injuries to the brain stem and chest, pending further investigations