Families lay wreaths to mark 25 years since Ladbroke Grove rail crash

Families bereaved by the Ladbroke Grove rail disaster have laid flowers to remember those killed, and to recognise those who came to their aid, 25 years after the crash that killed 31 people.

The disaster, one of the most catastrophic rail incidents in recent UK history, also left more than 220 injured. A rush-hour train collided almost head-on with a high-speed train about 2 miles from Paddington station in west London, shortly after 8am on 5 October 1999.

The Right Rev Dr Emma Ineson, the bishop of Kensington, told those gathered: “We gather to remember the 31 people who lost their lives, those who were injured, those who came to their aid on that morning and the many, many who still live with the memories of that day.

“We come together as one people, of different faiths and of none, and we come to remember, to seek comfort and healing from God and from each other.”

A wreath-laying ceremony took place in a memorial garden near the crash site at 8am on Saturday, where the grey memorial stone was surrounded by bouquets of fresh flowers and lit candles, with a soft toy laid down as well.

Ineson asked those in attendance to observe a minute’s silence to “reflect and to remember the 31 people whose names are written on this memorial”. She said each of the victims was a “person, each one known, each one precious, and each one loved”. The bishop read each name etched on to the memorial before those gathered held a minute’s silence.

People were then invited to lay flowers and wreaths, with bereaved families asked first, followed by a wreath laid on behalf of the survivors, and then by representatives of the emergency services and railway industry. The final wreath was laid by a representative from the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission.

An inquiry into the disaster revealed that the Thames Trains service travelling from Paddington to Bedwyn in Wiltshire had gone through a red signal before crashing into the London-bound high-speed First Great Western train.

The transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said her “thoughts are with the loved ones of the 31 victims, and all those affected by the disaster” 25 years on.

Mark Phillips, the chief executive of the Rail Safety and Standards Board, said: “The rail industry experienced one of its darkest days at Ladbroke Grove 25 years ago. The legacy from this tragedy is that lessons learned, collaboration, hard work and modern technology have made Britain’s railway one of the safest in the world.

“We remain vigilant and continually strive for further improvements. By working together, we can reduce the risk of a catastrophic train accident happening again. Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who died, those injured and those who survived and live with the memory.”

Mick Whelan, the general secretary of the train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “As an industry, we will never forget those who lost their lives, those who were injured and all those families who were impacted and who suffered because of the Ladbroke Grove rail crash.

“We should never forget the lessons that we learned in what is, and what will always be, a safety-critical industry.”

Dangerous incidents of trains passing red signals have decreased since the introduction of safety improvements such as the train protection and warning system. Figures from the Office of Rail and Road show there were 287 signals passed at danger – when a train passes a stop signal without permission – on Britain’s railways in the year to the end of March, compared with 593 in 1999-2000.