The victims of a rail crash 50 years ago are finally to be honoured with a permanent memorial, thanks to a campaign by the Sutton Coldfield Observer.

Seventeen people died when a York-to-Bristol express which had been diverted through Sutton was derailed in January 1955 – but there has never been any lasting memorial to the tragedy.

The Observer put together a feature to mark the 50th anniversary of the crash, and when news editor Ben Bentley discovered that many local people didn’t even know what had happened, the paper decided to act.

Its Time To Remember campaign called for a memorial plaque at Sutton station, the scene of the tragedy, and a memorial service to be staged to remember the dead and honour those who took part in the rescue operation.

The campaign soon gained the backing of readers, Central Trains, rail union ASLEF, the Rail Passengers Council, and Network Rail.

The paper also featured stories from local people who helped in the aftermath of the disaster.

And now a plaque bearing the names of the passengers and engine driver who died in the tragedy will be erected at Sutton station.

Observer acting editor Mark Eustace said: “We would like to thank everyone who came forward to tell their stories of the event – these stories really have helped fuel the Time To Remember campaign and push through this memorial to be erected at Sutton station.”

Ben added: “This is a real result – the response from readers was unstoppable.”

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