The Croydon Tram Derailment
On 9 November 2016, a London tram travelling at over three times the speed limit derailed at a sharp bend near Sandilands, Croydon, killing seven people and injuring 61 others. Despite years of prior warnings, neither the operator nor the owner of the network had implemented safety systems that could have prevented the crash.
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Key Details
Victims (All Fatalities): Dane Chinnery, 19 – Apprentice at Croydon Council, Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35 – Mother of two, carer, Mark Smith, 35 – New father, Philip Logan, 52 – Grandfather, bricklayer, Donald Collett, 62 – Retired, described as a gentle man, Philip Seary, 57 – Father of three, known as a “gentle giant” and Robert Huxley, 63 – Retired electrician
Perpetrator: Alfred Dorris (tram driver), TOL & Transport for London
Location: Sandilands Junction, near Lloyd Park, Croydon, South London
Date: 9 November 2016, at approximately 6:07 AM
Key Facts
On 9 November 2016, just after 6am, Tram 2551 derailed at Sandilands Junction, Croydon.
The tram entered a sharp curve at 73 km/h, more than three times the 20 km/h speed limit.
The vehicle overturned onto its side, sliding around 25 metres along the track bed.
It had no automatic braking, no GPS alerts, no driver vigilance system, and no internal restraints like seatbelts.
The stretch of track leading into the bend was long, straight, and featureless — contributing to driver disorientation.
Driver Alfred Dorris likely experienced a temporary loss of awareness, possibly a microsleep.
7 people were killed, all thrown from the tram through fragile windows.
61 passengers were injured, with 19 sustaining serious or life-changing injuries.
Survivors described being thrown around like rag dolls, some hitting poles or each other.
Victims suffered spinal damage, vision loss, and permanent trauma.
Many survivors were trapped in the wreckage, in darkness and silence, until rescued.
Some developed PTSD and anxiety about public transport long after the crash.
Investigators found the crash was entirely preventable.
Key failings included:
Ignored warnings about the Sandilands curve (dating back to 2008)
A near-miss 9 days prior that was never reported due to a “blame culture”
Lack of safety technology (no braking systems or speed alerts)
No action on driver fatigue, despite a 2014 internal study
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) called it a “predictable and avoidable event”.
Alfred Dorris was charged for failing to take reasonable care under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The organisations responsible — Transport for London (TfL) and Tram Operations Limited (TOL) — were also charged.
Alfred Dorris was acquitted at trial in 2023. The jury took just under two hours to deliver a not guilty verdict.
TfL and TOL pleaded guilty and were fined a combined £14 million:
£10 million to TfL
£4 million to TOL (a subsidiary of FirstGroup)
The judge described the crash as “an accident waiting to happen.”
No individuals at an organisational level were personally prosecuted.
The families of the victims felt justice had not been served, with no one held truly accountable.
The case exposed deep systemic failings, a toxic internal culture, and regulatory blind spots within the tram industry.