It is believed that the driver was trying to demonstrate the speed of the service, in competition with a rival railway company.

The most likely cause of the accident is that the driver did not realise the level of risk he was running, particularly as this was the first time he had taken a non-stopping train through Salisbury.

There is a memorial tablet to the 28 dead (including the driver, two firemen and the guard) in Salisbury Cathedral.

The accident was the second in a series of three derailments due to excessive speed at night in a 16-month period; the others were at Grantham in 1906 and Shrewsbury in 1907.

All three resulted in deaths, including the footplate crews; the cause in each case was recorded as driver error but there has been much speculation since.