The rail watchdog has launched an investigation after an East Midlands Railway (EMR) train had a near miss with a train worker between Harpenden and Luton.

Just before 10am on April 23, the EMR locomotive narrowly missed a track worker while travelling at 104mph around 2.7 miles north of Harpenden station.

The track worker was crossing an underbridge when the train approached. This bridge did not have the required clearance between the bridge parapet and the nearest running rail for the track worker to be far enough away from the train, so that they were in a position of safety.  

The driver then reported the incident as they were unsure of whether or not the train had hit the worker.

Today, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has begun an investigation into the near crash in a bid to establish the sequence of events that led to the incident.

The investigation will consider:

1. The actions of those involved and the factors that may have influenced them

2. What rules and processes applied to the track workers, both as a group and as individuals, when crossing a structure with limited clearance

3. The way in which the work was planned and how the risks associated with being on or near a railway line were being managed

It will also look into any underlying management factors.

The findings will be published in due course, with no timetable for its release at this stage.