Sir John Pringle issued on Wednesday his Report on the
Sevenoaks railway accident by which thirteen lives were lost and about sixty persons were injured. He finds that the condition of the down-track was the real cause of the accident. He says that there was an insuffi- ciency of ballast-foundation and 'a lack of proper drainage, and that there were consequent irregularities in the level and the gauge of the rails. He suggests that the heavy rainfall had made the line drop rapidly, but even so he thinks that the company had not fully recognized the necessity for permanently strengthening the road-bed to make it safe for modern heavy traffic. The irregularities of the line set up a rolling movement in the locomotive which was of a type that is inclined to roll under such conditions. The Southern Railway. Company has replied with assurances that it never stints money or labour in the upkeep of the prmanent way.
Previous page
