Rail safety statistics

Serious safety incidents on the railways were down last year, according to Health and Safety Executive figures published in September. The latest Railway Safety Statistics Bulletin said the number of reported fatalities, incidents, collisions and derailments all fell between April 2001 and March 2002. Reports of violence to railway industry staff also decreased. However, the figures do not include the Potters Bar derailment in May, when seven people died. The report also reveals that railway inspectors issued a record number (128) of enforcement notices and took 15 successful prosecutions, resulting in total fines of over £500,000.