Rail safety

The TUC is calling for unions to have a greater say in safety on the railways following publication of the official report into the October 1999 Ladbroke Grove train crash. The crash lead to 31 deaths, including both train drivers, and injuries to 400 passengers.

The report by Lord Cullen concluded that poor management and not worker error was the cause of the crash.

At the annual conference of the train drivers' union ASLEF, TUC general secretary John Monks said: "The travelling public can't trust Railtrack to run the railway safely...Unions need a greater say over safety on trains, the workforce needs more safety training and the Health and Safety Executive needs more money from the government to ensure they can oversee Railtrack effectively." The safety inspectors' union IPMS also drew attention to the lack of resources for HSE specialist staff.