Shaun Burton, 60, was at the controls of an East Midlands Railway service when the crash occurred, killing him and injuring 100 others
The train driver killed in Friday’s collision near Bedford has been identified as Shaun Burton, aged 60.
Mr Burton was at the controls of an East Midlands Railway service travelling from Corby to London when it struck the rear of another train heading from Nottingham to the capital, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
In a statement, his family said they were “devastated by his loss” and extended their sympathies to all those affected by the crash. “We are devastated by his loss. Our thoughts are also with those affected by this incident,” the family said in a statement released by the British Transport Police, alongside a photograph of Mr Burton, while requesting privacy as they begin to come to terms with their grief.
Passengers aboard the Nottingham service described the collision as “bewildering and frightening”. Speaking to the BBC, Alistair Adamson, who was travelling on the Nottingham to London St Pancras train, said he feared an explosion following the initial impact.
“All of a sudden, a really big impact,” he said. “I immediately felt myself lurching forward and saw my colleagues across from me getting thrown around.”
The incident left 100 people injured, 11 of whom sustained serious wounds, while 57 suffered minor injuries, the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) confirmed. Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles was “greatly saddened” by the rail crash and that his “thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and with all those injured of affected by such a tragic incident”.
Dave Calfe, general secretary of Aslef, the train drivers’ union, said: “We are all heartbroken by the death of Shaun Burton which leaves a hole in the lives of his family, friends, and colleagues, which will never be filled. Shaun, a driver at East Midlands Railway, joined the railway relatively late in life.
“He loved public transport – he used to work on buses and coaches – before he became a train driver seven years ago. He was dedicated to the job, and devoted to his colleagues and enormously popular at his depot.
“The railway family grieves his passing; no-one should go off to work in the morning and not come home. Our thoughts are with his family and friends tonight.”
The crash occurred on Friday afternoon, June 19, when the 4.40pm EMR service from Corby to London St Pancras slammed into the rear of the 3.50pm service from Nottingham to London St Pancras.
The incident took place near Bedford, leaving 100 people injured in total, of whom 11 sustained very serious injuries, 32 suffered serious injuries and a further 57 walked away with minor injuries.


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