One person was awarded the British Empire Medal for his part in the aftermath of the collision.
On the evening of 4 January 1969, the weather in the Paddock Wood and Marden area was foggy, with visibility as low as 25 yards (23 m) in places.
[1] The first train was a special rail train comprising five "salmon" wagons loaded with 300-foot (91 m) lengths of continuous welded rail, two brake vans and a seven-wagon fitted head (a rake of wagons fitted with vacuum brakes), which had departed from Paddock Wood Down Siding West at 20:12.
The effect of the failure was that it caused automatic signal A370 to display a danger aspect.
At 20:28, the driver of the rail train telephoned the signalman at Ashford and was given the same authority to pass it at danger.
At about this time (between 20:30 and 20:40), the track circuit fault was fixed, and signal A370 was showing a proceed aspect when the parcels train reached it.
The driver stopped and the secondman reported to the Ashford signalman by telephone as previously instructed.
[1] The passenger train passed Paddock Wood at 20:38+1⁄2, which was 3+1⁄2 minutes ahead of schedule.
Wreckage from the collision short-circuited the conductor rails, tripping the power supply off.
The guard of the passenger train reported the accident to Ashford signalbox from signal A370.
The fire engines came from Ashford, Cranbrook, Maidstone, Marden, Matfield, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.
[2] The site of the accident was difficult for the emergency services to reach, with the darkness and fog contributing to this.
[3] The WRVS set up a field kitchen to provide hot food and drink to the rescuers.
[4] For his part in the rescue operation, Stanley Skinner, who was the officer in charge of the ambulances at the scene, was awarded the British Empire Medal.
[4] Amongst the rescuers were three teenagers who had heard the crash, Steven Nye, Peter Judge and Christopher Peen.
After confirmation that the power was off had been given, they were told that they could assist in the rescue and were to report to the police on arrival at the scene.
Local trains on the line between Tonbridge and Ashford terminated at Paddock Wood and Staplehurst, with a bus service provided between those two stations and calling at Marden.
The wreckage was cleared and the damaged track was repaired overnight, allowing trains to use the line subject to a temporary speed restriction.
The cause of the accident was found to be driver error on the part of the driver of the passenger train, who failed to observe rule 127 of the British Rail Rule Book: "The driver MUST... observe and obey all signals ... ... and when owing to fog ... ... the fixed signals are not visible at the usual distance, use every precaution and reduce speed if necessary... ...to enable the train to be stopped should it be at Danger.