Ladbroke Grove: Anniversary of deaths in train disaster

31 people died and more than 220 were injured when the rush-hour train from Paddington to Bedwyn, near Marlborough, collided almost head-on with a high-speed train in Ladbroke Grove, west London, shortly after 8am on October 5, 1999.

It was one of the most catastrophic rail incidents in recent UK history, and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said her “thoughts are with the loved ones of the 31 victims, and all those affected by the disaster” 25 years on.

In a wreath-laying ceremony held on the 25th anniversary of the disaster that shocked not just Wiltshire and London, but the entire nation, Rt Rev Dr Emma Ineson, Bishop of Kensington, paid tribute to the victims.

“Thirty-one names – each one a person, each one known, each one precious, and each one loved," she said.

The grey memorial stone was surrounded by bouquets of fresh flowers, lit candles and plush toys.

Floral tributes were laid at the memorial for those who died in the crash (Image: PA) As well as tributes paid to the victims, a wreath was also laid on behalf of the survivors, and then by representatives of the emergency services and railway industry.

The final wreath was laid by a representative from the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission.

An inquiry into the disaster revealed that the Thames service travelling from Paddington to Bedwyn in Wiltshire had gone through a red signal before crashing into the London-bound high-speed First Great Western train.

Mark Phillips, chief executive of rail industry body the Rail Safety and Standards Board, said: “The rail industry experienced one of its darkest days at Ladbroke Grove 25 years ago.

“The legacy from this tragedy is that lessons learned, collaboration, hard work and modern technology have made Britain’s railway one of the safest in the world.

Queen Elizabeth II visiting floral tributes for the crash victims in 1999 (Image: PA) “We remain vigilant and continually strive for further improvements. By working together, we can reduce the risk of a catastrophic train accident happening again.

“Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who died, those injured and those who survived and live with the memory.”

Mick Whelan, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, added: “As an industry, we will never forget those who lost their lives, those who were injured and all those families who were impacted and who suffered because of the Ladbroke Grove rail crash.

“We should never forget the lessons that we learned in what is, and what will always be, a safety-critical industry.”