London rail crash remembered, one year on

LONDON, England -- Families of those killed and injured in the Paddington, London, rail crash one year ago gathered at the scene to remember their loved ones.

The mood was sombre as the bereaved comforted each other at 8.11a.m. (0711 GMT), the exact time of the impact last year.

Bouquets were tied to railings overlooking the site where the Thames Train Turbo and Great Western Express collided.

Police officers and ambulance crews also joined the silence to pay their respects to those killed and injured.

Flowers left at the scene included white lilies with a card saying: "In memory from all the staff at Railtrack."

One family travelled from Washington DC to remember their 32-year-old daughter Charlotte Anderson, who died on the Thames train.

Her sister Tina, 30, said: "We thought that we wanted to be here at the time that she died and on the date that she died to observe a moment's silence, to remember her spirit and to lay some flowers to remember her."

Charlotte's mother Birgit, 56, said: "I just had to come and see the place again, to see where she took her last breath.

"It's a comfort to be here. I felt it important to be here particularly after spending time at the inquiry. Now I understand how it happened."

Accompanied by Charlotte's father Per, 61, the family laid a bouquet of pink lilies overlooking the scene with a photograph of her.

Another bouquet at the site simply read: "Never to be forgotten. Let's hope lessons have be learnt. Janette."

Prayers and a minute's silence at 8.11am were conducted by the Bishop of Kensington, the Right Reverend Michael Colclough.

He said: "A year ago people were about to start rushing to this place, rushing here to face the horror and the pain of people killed or injured as two trains crashed into one another.

"Today those trains are not running and we have come together for a minute's silence.

"Silence in which we remember those whose lives were tragically cut short.

"Silence in which we remember bereaved families and friends. Silence in which we pray still for those whose lives bear the physical and emotional scars of that crash."

After the silence a prayer was said then a London Ambulance Service crew laid flowers and spent a moment with the bereaved families.

Superintendent Tony Thompson, of British Transport Police, who attended the scene said: "It seems like only yesterday, it really does.

"I was also at the Clapham crash in 1988 and my first thoughts when I came here last year were that I couldn't believe that something like this could happen again. It was just total devastation of two trains."

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Railtrack
Railwatch
British Transport Police

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