Shaun Burton, the driver of one of the two trains involved, died in the collision and many others were injured. ORR is liaising with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, industry and other relevant authorities as investigations continue.
A key theme of this year’s report is the need to maintain safety standards as the rail industry goes through major reform. While Britain’s railways continue to operate safely overall, ORR said the industry needs to show greater urgency in delivering real improvements on issues such as overspeeding, which remains one of the most significant risks on the railway.
Overspeed incidents reported at junctions on the East Coast Mainline in recent years demonstrate how close trains have come to potentially catastrophic outcomes. Following an urgent cross-industry meeting, convened by ORR last December, some progress has been made in developing joint risk assessments for high-risk junctions and strengthening collaboration between track and train duty holders, but there is much more to do.
ORR said it will also continue to encourage the rail industry to provide better welfare provisions for railway workers. There has been strong initial commitment to improving welfare facilities, including commitment from many organisations to RSSB’s Welfare Charter, but progress has been uneven and industry momentum has slowed. ORR said it would continue to assess welfare provision through inspections and engagement with industry.
Trackworker safety is also a key concern. Progress has been made in reducing higher-risk working practices, but recent incidents, including a fatality at Radlett in March, show planned protections are not always followed reliably in practice. ORR will conduct targeted inspections focused on how Network Rail and its contractors manage welfare and risks when work is carried out on closed sections of track.
As also referenced in ORR’s annual assessment of Network Rail, financial pressures have affected the delivery of renewals and other planned work. Where activities are deferred or reduced, Network Rail must demonstrate that risks have been properly assessed and that suitable mitigations are in place.
Over the next year ORR will also continue to scrutinise industry over rising level-crossing fatalities and increasing violence and harassment towards railway staff, both highlighted as concerns in the report.
Richard Hines, ORR’s HM Chief Inspector of Railways, said:
