Croydon tram crash update: Operators at Old Bailey fined £14m; Know how the 2016 accident happened

The 2016 Croydon tram crash is still fresh in the minds of Londoners as an accident that could have been avoided. In an update, the tram operators have been fined £14m at the Old Bailey. Seven people died in the crash. While Transport for London (TfL) was fined £10m, Tram Operations Limited (TOL) was fined £4m. The operators were also told to pay £500,000 in costs.

The accident occurred on November 9, 2016, when the tram carrying 69 people at fast speed, toppled over on a sharp bend.

Driver cleared of charges

Driver Alfred Dorris was cleared of health and safety offences by a jury at the Old Bailey in June 2023. Dorris told the trial that he had become disorientated and thought he was going in the other direction. The judge ruled that the "complacency" around the inadequate lighting and lack of visual cues in the tunnel was "disturbing".

Who were the seven people killed in the Croydon tram crash?

The seven people who died in the Croydon tram crash were New Addington residents Dane Chinnery, 19, Philip Seary, 57, Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35, Robert Huxley, 63, and Philip Logan, 52, and Croydon residents Donald Collett, 62, and Mark Smith, 35.

Another 61-62 passengers suffered injuries in the accident, and 21 were seriously injured, with many having life-changing injuries.

Justice Fraser told the court on Day 3 of the sentencing hearing: "This was undoubtedly an accident waiting to happen, quite literally." He added that warnings were not heeded about the possibility of drivers becoming disoriented in the Sandilands tunnel network on the approach to the curve.

A "near-miss" incident report days before the Croyden crash had also been "ignored", he said.

London's Transport Commissioner Andy Lord apologized for failing the passengers.

The court heard that the train in question, the Tram 2551, had been travelling at three times the 20km/h (12.5mph) speed limit during the accident when it derailed on a sharp corner at Sandilands while on its way from New Addington to Wimbledon via East Croydon.

Jonathan Ashley-Norman, the prosecutor, told the court that it was the job of the operators to make a risk assessment of such routes.

FAQs

Q1:What happened in the Croydon tram crash?
A Tramlink train derailed and overturned on November 9, 2016. The accident killed seven passengers and injured 62, with 19 who had serious injuries.

Q2:Who died in the Croydon tram crash?
The names of seven people who died in the Croydon tram crash are: Dorota Rynkiewicz, Dane Chinnery, Donald Collett, Mark Smith, Phil Seary, Philip Logan and Robert Huxley. The accident took place on November 9, 2016.