A hero train driver left with life-changing injuries after the Salisbury rail collision on Sunday night saved dozens of lives with his quick thinking, colleagues said.
Robin Tandy, 74, reportedly had just six seconds to apply emergency brakes before flinging himself to one side of his cab.
The veteran train driver’s knowledge and speedy reactions are said to have saved lives and avoided dozens more passengers from getting injured.
Miraculously, no one died in the horror smash.
Mr Tandy, a South Western Rail driver working on the railways for 60 years, had to be cut out of his cab following the crash in Fisherton Tunnel.
He was airlifted to University Hospital Southampton, with another 13 people being taken to Salisbury District Hospital for treatment after the smash.
Friend and colleague Kevin Regan said: “He must have only had about six seconds to react and fling the brakes into emergency”.
Kevin said wet tracks would have made braking quickly even harder, adding: “He’s the hero of the hour, that’s for sure, and at a personal cost to himself because he’s suffered serious injuries.”
A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “We want to pay tribute to our driver who was injured on Sunday night.
"He is a deeply respected colleague, who has over 50 years’ experience of driving on this route and an excellent professional track record. All our drivers are regularly assessed to the highest standards and he has fully satisfied all requirements.
“Initial findings indicate that the driver acted in an impeccable way in a valiant attempt to keep his passengers safe, staying at the controls throughout.
"We thank him for his actions and we wish him a speedy recovery as he continues to be treated in hospital.”
The Rail Accident investigation Branch (RAIB) said the train was “almost certainly” affected by “low adhesion between the wheels and the track”, which meant it was unable to stop at a red signal.
RAIB Deputy Chief Inspector Andrew Hall said in a statement: “A team of RAIB inspectors arrived on site on Sunday evening and were joined yesterday by additional inspectors and our support team.
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“We are working alongside partner organisations including the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and BTP. Our investigation is progressing well.”
An investigation into the Salisbury train crash will consider how Network Rail managed the risk of wheels slipping on rails where the accident happened, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said.
It will also analyse South Western Railways policies towards low adhesion between the wheels and the track.
