NR fined £200,000 over Kent level crossing accident

Network Rail has been fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £86,000 costs after being convicted of an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act, following an incident which left a signaller with life-changing injuries.

On April 24 2015, as he tried to close the gate at East Farleigh station in Kent, signaller Douglas Caddell (65) was struck by a level crossing gate which had been hit by a car.

The Office of Rail and Road’s investigation found that NR’s risk assessment was inadequate, and that despite the “foreseeable risk” of a driver failing to see that the gates were closed, had done little to protect its staff.

HM Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser said: “Mr Caddell suffered life-changing injuries in this incident, and the sentence indicates just how seriously the offence is quite rightly viewed.

“We are absolutely committed to protecting the health and safety of passengers and railway staff, and will not hesitate to take enforcement action or to prosecute when necessary.

“Network Rail has introduced safety measures at East Farleigh, and we would expect to see proper risk assessments made at similar level crossings up and down the country and necessary safety measures taken.”