Derailment between Thorpe le Soken and Clacton (16/07/22)

[Peter Mugridge]

They ran amok for over 2 miles, and then eventually went through a fence, if they gained access after the Up Clacton went past, there is a fair amount of time before the next down Clacton leaves TLS.

Yes, we passed the 11..05 up on time at Wivenhoe so about 25 minutes between that passing the location and us getting there.

 

[Reesh_hill]

Seems, it has been said, there was a metal detectorist meet, some of them it seems, left a couple of gates open, and they also spooked the cows, that ran for 2 miles or more, then through a barbed wire fence.

Completely irresponsible behaviour. At least metal detectorists are expected to have public liability insurance to cover their activities. Has the Portable Antiquities Scheme been made aware of this?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Completely irresponsible behaviour. At least metal detectorists are expected to have public liability insurance to cover their activities. Has the Portable Antiquities Scheme been made aware of this?

If it can be shown that these people did indeed leave the gates open, then I would hope that the following will happen:

1) This group will lose all their licences ( they have a collective responsibility as an organised group and therefore the individual members should not "expect one of the others" will do things ).
2) The farmers will invoice the group for all the losses they sustained.
3) The railway will invoice the group for the full costs of the repairs to 720 528, the track, the evacuation, the delay repay costs and the delay minutes.

It would probably not hurt if the Portable Antiquities Scheme received a number of inquiries from a lot of "concerned individuals" as to whether or not they have been made aware of the incident. After all, none of us should assume that someone else has flagged it up to them should we?

Points 2) and 3) I would hope will happen anyway even if it transpires the group was operating without insurance in place. That should concentrate a few minds among other such groups nationally and ensure that everyone takes collective care in future.

 

[Ediswan]

1) This group will lose all their licences ( they have a collective responsibility as an organised group and therefore the individual members should not "expect one of the others" will do things ).

What licences ?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

What licences ?

To use a metal detector you need some kind of registration and licence don't you?

 

[Ediswan]

To use a metal detector you need some kind of registration and licence don't you?

Not since 1980.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

One begs the question as to whether this group were metal detecting on public land or trespassing on private farmers land. Either way, totally irresponsible from not just the group collectively, but each individual member

 

[Gloster]

Do we know with a reasonable amount of certainty that the metal-detectorists started off the chain of events, or is it just what someone has said? And if it is true, are they an identifiable group or just some blokes who were seen with metal-detectors (and who quickly made themselves scarce)?

 

[Ediswan]

Do we know with a reasonable amount of certainty that the metal-detectorists started off the chain of events, or is it just what someone has said? And if it is true, are they an identifiable group or just some blokes who were seen with metal-detectors (and who quickly made themselves scarce)?

All I can find is a single comment to an article in the local press:
https://www.clactonandfrintongazett...in-derails-near-thorpe-le-soken-hitting-cows/

rumour is that the gate was left open by metal detectors who had been in the area

 

[Islineclear3_1]

This is what I found:

Live updates as services cancelled after cows hit by train

Greater Anglia is trying to sort a bus replacement service for customers

www.essexlive.news

Metal detectorist claims cows trampled barbed wire​

A metal detectorist at an event near the train track has said he was told the cows trampled the fence. He said:

I was at the detecting event and the cows were wandering about before it started at 08:30. One of the rail guys told us that they had trampled a barbed wire fence and got onto the track there. Such a shame.

Further down, the comments read:

Also: rumour is that a gate was left open by metal detector people in the farmers field and this is how the cows got out. Two cows dead and lying across the line - a mother and calf. Another calf rescued by the farmer but another adult cow ran off in Clacton direction









MariusC

@MariusxC
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Hi, I was at the detecting event and the cows were wandering about before it started at 08:30. One of the rail guys told us that they had trampled a barbed wire fence and got onto the track there. Such a shame.

 

[philthetube]

If they trampled a fence then that will be easily discovered.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Well... isn't the question more about confirming how they originally escaped and started running round at or before 08.30, without which they would not have been in a position to trample a fence to get onto the railway in the first place?

 

[Weary Walker]

It may be a coincidence but at one of the theatres in nearby Colchester had a production of the play "Silly Cow" on the day of the incident.