Report shows rail deaths up

Fatalities were up, but elsewhere there were improvements in rail safety according to the HSE's annual report on the industry published in November.

Fifty people (excluding trespassers and suicides) died on the railways between April 2002 to March 2003, up 14 from the year before. Ten died in train incidents, including seven in the Potters Bar derailment.

There were also 355 injuries from assaults on staff, (up three) and seven staff fatalities, including three track workers.

Shaun Brady, general secretary of train drivers' union ASLEF, said: "Sadly it seems that the average of three deaths for track workers each year is to continue. It is a disgrace that poorly trained track staff are placed in such exposed positions."

He added: "It is completely unacceptable that train staff are met with violence at work. The Train Operating Companies need to meet the increase in the number of staff assaulted with policies of zero tolerance."

The report indicates some improvements, with a reduction in the numbers of collisions, derailments, train incidents, signals passed at danger, broken rails, rolling stock failures and cases of vandalism.

The report can be downloaded from www.hse.gov.uk/railways/annualreport0203/annualreport.pdf