The passenger train had passed a signal at 'danger' after the driver had suffered a transient episode of amnesia, brought about by a rare medical condition.

The train attempted to negotiate the crossovers that led from the goods line to the Down Slow line when its eleventh wagon was struck by an eight-car electric multiple-unit passenger train, 2A85, the 17:54 from London Euston to Bletchley, consisting of two 4-car Class 310 electric multiple-units.

Evidence was heard in public in London on 9 November and addressed the question of whether the freight train was moving or stationary at the moment of impact.

Armstrong regularly informed the board about suffering episodes of irregular disturbed vision that occurred three to four times a year without warning.

One medical condition he no longer suffered from was breathlessness and he also lost his sense of smell 18 months before the accident occurred.

A driver suffering from Short Period Amnesia would continue to hold the former and cancel the latter while not taking effective action to slow or stop his train.