Kirkby train crash

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kirkby-train-crash

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date of incident?13 March 2021
2. What is the location?Kirkby railway station, Merseyside, England
3. What happened at the Kirkby train crash?A Merseyrail train went too fast and hit the buffer stops at Kirkby station. The train and the station were damaged, but no passengers were hurt.
4. Why did the train go too fast?The driver was using his mobile phone and missed the speed limit sign, so he didn't slow down in time.

Buffer stops: Energy-absorbing structures at the termination of a railway line designed to safely arrest the motion of a train.
Coasting: The act of allowing a vehicle to move forward under its own momentum without applying power, typically to conserve energy or reduce speed.
Driver Distraction: A condition where a driver's attention is diverted from the primary task of driving to another activity, increasing accident risk.
Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB): An independent statutory body responsible for investigating railway accidents and incidents in Great Britain to improve safety.