HSE report indicates points failure at Potters Bar

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) interim report on its investigation into the Potters Bar train derailment indicates that faulty points caused the disaster.

Rail managers were warned weeks ago about track problems near the points thought to be responsible for the crash that killed seven. Bob Crow, general secretary of rail union RMT, said an employee had raised his concerns in a letter to rail managers three weeks before the fatal accident but that "no response was made to him."

Rail unions have rejected claims by secretary of state Stephen Byers and Railtrack that the crash was a "one-off" stating that tracks are not being inspected often enough to prevent accidents. They want an end to Railtrack's policy of employing sub-contractors to carry out maintenance work and the RMT is calling for a public enquiry to "look into the shambolic way in which infrastructure maintenance is organised...The case for bringing all maintenance back in-house is already irresistible."