The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
UK’s railways are ‘safest they have ever been’
‘No room for complacency’ 10 years after Britain’s last fatal train crash
There is “room for improvement” in UK rail safety despite it being 10 years since the last passenger death in a train crash, industry bosses have warned.
One woman died and 89 other people were injured, including 30 seriously, when a Virgin Trains service derailed at 95mph on the West Coast Main Line in Grayrigg, Cumbria, on February 23 2007. It was Britain’s last train crash involving a passenger fatality.
Ian Prosser, HM chief inspector of railways, said: “Britain’s railways are currently the safest they have ever been, but there is still room for improvement.
“It has been 10 years since there has been a train accident that was fatal to passengers or staff and last year was the first year ever in Britain without a railway worker losing their life. That said... there is no room for complacency on safety.”
He said rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road will continue to push the industry to “strive for excellence” in health and safety management.
In 2007, the 300-tonne Pendolino train from London to Glasgow came off the tracks at Grayrigg due to a badly maintained and faulty set of points.
Passenger Margaret Masson, 84, from Glasgow, died. Network Rail, responsible for the upkeep of the railways, accepted it was at fault and was fined £4 million over safety failures.
The Rail Safety and Standards Board said Britain’s rail passengers are “safer than ever”, with serious incidents like trains striking objects and derailments falling from 45 in 2007 to 17 last year.