AN INVESTIGATION into a collision between a train and a crane has concluded the accident was caused by a "misunderstanding".

The incident happened in February when a gantry on a bridge inspection unit working on the M20 between Maidstone Barracks and Aylesford railway stations was hit by a Southeastern Railways train.

In its report into the incident, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said there had been a misunderstanding between a bridge inspector who had been put in charge of work to be carried out on the night and the crane driver.

The inspector told the driver to go to the bridge and wait for further instructions while he worked on a different bridge but the driver understood that to mean go to the next bridge and lower the gantry.

According to the report, the bridge inspector did not mention that part of the span of the bridge was over a railway line and did not expect the crane driver to lower the gantry.

The gantry was struck by a train causing severe damage to both the train and the gantry.

The train driver and the only passenger on board were injured in the accident which happened on Monday, February 5.

InterRoute, the Highways Agency’s contractor for inspections to main routes in the county, had planned to inspect part of the bridge that spanned the River Medway on the night of the incident, but the operator lowered the gantry onto the span that crossed the railway.

InterRoute has since carried out a health and safety investigation and has made changes to its procedures which include giving bridge inspectors formal safety training, and enforcing competence checks on staff.

* Crane driver John Whitfield, 54, from Darlington, failed to appear at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on Wednesday of last week on a charge of endangering public safety in connection with the incident.

He must now attend on October 17.