Passengers fear the train crash at Oxford station could be repeated unless drivers are banned from stopping too close to each other on platforms.

On Sunday, a Thames train with only a driver on board hit a stationary 125 which was about to leave platform one for Paddington. Six passengers suffered minor injuries and an investigation is taking place.

Now it has been revealed that trains are allowed to stop close to each other on the same platform every day.

One season ticket holder, who works in Oxford, said: "I have been saying an accident will happen for ages. They regularly bring empty stock in behind passenger trains to save time.

"They have got within inches of each other. It is a regular thing - it is not something that happens on the spur of the moment. They do it hourly, if not more often than that. A lot of us have seen it happen."

Thames Trains spokesman Lou Tate said: "The train was making a permitted move into the platform and was going to form a train on that platform after the 125 had departed. In this case, it nudged the back and unfortunately pushed the train that had not departed.

"It is a permitted movement for one to follow the other - as one departs, the other one comes in."

"It is possible to have one train follow another so it gets into the platform to fit into the timetable of the next departure."

He added: "Drivers of both trains will be interviewed and a full investigation is taking place."

A "black box" kept on the Thames train, similar to those used in aeroplanes, will be analysed by investigators to find out why the crash happened.

A Railtrack spokesman added: "It is not unusual for two trains to be on the platform at the same time."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.