Bus driver killed by Edinburgh tram 'because horn was not loud enough'

Daily Record

13-05-2025

Carlos Correa Palacio died in 2018 with the tragic incident highlighting long-standing safety concerns amid calls for urgent improvements to tram warning systems.
A bus driver killed by a tram in Edinburgh might still be alive today if the vehicle's warning horn had been loud enough to rise above background noise, a Fatal Accident Inquiry has concluded.
Carlos Correa Palacio died on September 11, 2018, after being struck by a tram while walking across a pedestrian crossing between the Balgreen and Saughton tram stops.
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The 53-year-old had just completed a shift with Lothian Buses and was using a designated "non-motorised user" crossing when the tragedy occurred at around 12.44pm.
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An inquiry held at Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that although the tram's horn had been sounded three times in the lead-up to the collision, it was not loud enough to be clearly heard amid surrounding noise, reports Edinburgh Live.
In a written judgement, Sheriff Douglas Keir said the outcome might have been different had the horn been more audible: 'Had the warning horn been sufficiently audible above the background noise and been used in the off-street area, it might realistically have alerted Mr Correa at the point of first sighting at 73 metres from the crossing. This would have allowed him sufficient time to react and step out of the path of the tram.'
Concerns about the volume of warning devices on trams had been raised long before the fatal incident.
Evidence presented at the inquiry revealed that as early as 2013, during the tram line's initial testing phase, there were reports of workers failing to move out of the way despite trams sounding their bells. Edinburgh Trams Limited (ETL) responded by comparing the tram horn to that of a Lothian Bus and, finding them to be similar, believed the issue to be resolved.
However, post-accident testing revealed that the warning devices were still too quiet to be reliably heard at the distances required for an emergency stop. The horns and bells have since been replaced with louder versions.
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The inquiry also highlighted that there had been at least four other "near-miss" incidents on the same stretch of tram track before Mr Correa's death. In each case, pedestrians or cyclists crossed into the tram's path, forcing drivers to perform emergency stops to avoid a collision.
In August 2023, Edinburgh Trams was fined £240,000 after admitting a breach of health and safety regulations in relation to Mr Correa's death.
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Sheriff Keir's determination also criticised the layout and design of the crossing, stating that more could have been done to alert pedestrians they were entering a high-risk area.
A separate investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) had already called for louder warning devices and improved sightlines at crossings like the one where Mr Correa was killed.
Mr Correa, a father-of-three, was remembered during the inquiry as a hardworking man who had recently moved to Scotland to support his family. His tragic death has now prompted renewed calls for tram safety improvements in Edinburgh and beyond.