The Purley station rail crash is a train collision that occurred just to the north of Purley railway station in the London Borough of Croydon on Saturday 4 March 1989, leaving five dead and 88 injured. The collison was caused by the driver of one of the trains passing a signal at danger and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 months in prison plus 6 months suspended, although this was reduced to four months upon appeal, and in 2007 overturned. The Ministry of Transport report noted that the signal had a high incidence of being passed at danger and recommended that an automatic train protection system should be introduced without delay and in the interim a repeater for the signal that had been passed be installed.
Read more about Purley Station Rail Crash: Collision, Aftermath, Trial, Report and Appeals, Legacy
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