At approximately 08:40 on 1 January 1915 the crew of the 07:06 express service from
Clacton to
London Liverpool Street failed to see that the
distant and
home signals at the Ilford east
signal box were at danger. The signalman tried to attract their attention by shouting and waving a red flag from the signal box, but to no avail. At the west end of the station, the 08:20 local service from to Liverpool Street was crossing over from the local line to the through line when it was run into by the Clacton express travelling on the through line at a speed variously estimated at . The impact completely destroyed the eighth coach and severely damaged five others of the Gidea Park train, as well as the engine and first two vehicles of the Clacton train. Ten passengers died and over 500 complained of injury. The official report attributed blame to the driver of the Clacton train for his "insufficient care in noting the positions of his signals when approaching Ilford". It also noted that the accident would have been much less likely if some form of
Automatic Warning System had been in use, and recommended its introduction. ==See also==