Friday 28 June, rail industry leaders and local residents joined forces to unveil a new stained-glass window in St. Peter’s Church, Hixon, marking the Hixon rail disaster of 6 January 1968.
The new window – designed and installed by local business owner, Glyn Rayson – has today been unveiled in Hixon’s village church to represent the decades-long relationship between the railway, the former RAF training airbase – RAF Hixon – and St. Peter’s parish.
The installation of the window has been funded by organisations across the rail industry, including CrossCountry, Network Rail, Avanti West Coast and ASLEF.
The design incorporates the former British Rail logo as carried on the locomotive involved in the rail accident, the crossed keys of St. Peter, and a roundel to represent the RAF Hixon air base which was active during the Second World War.
A dedication service was held at the church to mark the installation of the window, following work in 2018 to install a memorial garden and headstones. A wreath was laid at the headstone to commemorate victims of the Hixon rail disaster.
In January 1968, a service from Manchester to London Euston with 300 passengers collided with a road transporter carrying a 120-tonne transformer over the automatic crossing. The train driver, their assistant, a spare driver and eight passengers died in the crash.
The incident launched a groundbreaking national enquiry which saw critical safety alterations made to level crossings across Britain. The level crossing at Hixon was later replaced by a bridge.
John Robson, CrossCountry’s Head of Traincrew Strategy said: “It’s a privilege to return to Hixon to see the dedication of this important memorial window to remember the tragic events of 1968.
“Though of course such incidents are rare, their impact is often felt beyond the boundary of the railway, and this beautiful window pays tribute to the ongoing relationships between the railway and local communities here in Hixon.”
The dedication of the window comes two years after a CrossCountry train was named ‘Hixon, 6th January 1968’ after the incident.
Local historian, Malcolm Garner, said: “We’re so grateful to the rail industry for their practical and financial support to help commemorate the two things for which the village of Hixon is probably best known beyond the local area.
“These are RAF Hixon, the wartime RAF base at which bomber crews were trained to help in achieving victory in World War 2, and the tragic railway disaster in 1968 which led to many improvements in both level crossing safety and disaster response.
“We are proud to welcome both rail and RAF communities to Hixon today to commemorate the close ties between our three organisations.”
The newly-installed window is available to view by the public at St. Peter’s Church, Church Lane, Hixon.