Place	Taunton, Somerset, England
Date	Thursday, 6th July 1978, 2.41 a.m.
Railway Company	British Railways (Western Region)
No. of Fatalities	12
Cause of Accident	Fire
Description	On the 21:30 Penzance to Paddington sleeper train, a fire was caused by an electric heater which had been obstructed by sacks of dirty bed linen causing it to overheat. Most deaths were due to smoke inhalation. The practise of locking doors was criticised as a result. Accident led to change in practice and also a change to materials used on sleeper carriages.

List of Fatalities

11 of the 12 fatalities that have been identifed so far are listed in the table below together with brief notes on any other information found so far.

The last column shows the General Register Office (England and Wales), Statutory Register (Scotland), General Register Northern Ireland or Civil Registration for Ireland reference where this has been identified.

Surname	First Names	Age	Occupation	Residence	Notes	GRO/SR/GRONI/GROIE Reference
CORNISH	Ronald Gordon	36		Torpoint, Plymouth, DEV	Married to Pauline	1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1185
GALPIN	Gary Charles			Hartley, Plymouth, DEV
HALL	Mary Elizabeth L.	18		Plymouth, DEV	Daughter of Trenchard and Patricia	1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1276
HALL	Patricia Ellen	42		Plymouth, DEV	Wife of Trenchard and mother of Mary	1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1276
HALL	Trenchard Louis R.	42	M.D.	Plymouth, DEV	Husband of Patricia and father of Mary	1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1275
JONES	John	37	Regional head of the British Film Institute	Crawley, SRY	Left wife and two daughters.
KNIGHT	William John	74		Cattedown, Plymouth, DEV		1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1278
MICHL	Herta	53		Vienna, OES	Wife of Leopold	1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1277
MICHL	Leopold	55		Vienna, OES	Husband of Herta	1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1277
MURDEN	Patrick Gerald	40		The Hoe, Plymouth, DEV		1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1184
SHARPE	Christopher John	27		Plymouth, DEV		1978/Sep Taunton D 23 1185