Network Rail Fined £3.75 Million for Safety Breaches Leading to Worker Deaths
A Swansea court imposes fine following tragic incident involving two track workers in 2019.
Network Rail has been fined £3.75 million following a prosecution for health and safety breaches that resulted in the deaths of two track workers in south Wales in July 2019. The incident occurred when Gareth Delbridge, 64, and Michael "Spike" Lewis, 58, were struck by a train while engaged in maintenance activities on the Swansea to London mainline.
At the time of the accident, the south Wales mainline was operational, and no safety lookouts were deployed to warn the workers of the approaching train.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the regulatory body for rail safety in the UK, brought the prosecution against Network Rail, which pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. In addition to the fine, Network Rail was ordered to pay £175,000 in costs.
The sentence was pronounced on Friday at Swansea Crown Court.
The fatal incident occurred on July 3, 2019, near Margam, Port Talbot, and involved a train traveling from Swansea to London.
An additional worker present at the scene narrowly escaped injury.
Investigators found that the workers were using ear defenders, which may have prevented them from hearing both the warning signals from the train and the emergency braking.
The investigation conducted by the ORR revealed significant lapses in safety measures, indicating that the site safety plan was not properly adhered to and that safety practices had deteriorated over time.
The ORR's findings suggested a pattern of systematic safety failures by Network Rail, reiterating concerns raised in previous safety assessments.
Following the incident, the ORR mandated improvements in worker safety practices across the rail network.
Richard Hines, the HM Chief Inspector of Railways, stated that the penalty reflects the seriousness of Network Rail's safety shortcomings.
He emphasized the critical need for the rail industry to prioritize the safety of its workforce to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, Nick Millington, expressed condolences to the families and colleagues of the deceased workers, acknowledging that their deaths should not have occurred.
He noted that since the tragedy, significant advancements have been made in workforce safety through the implementation of new technologies and planning tools, which have greatly reduced the need for live track work.
The case highlights ongoing concerns within the rail industry regarding safety practices and the importance of regulatory oversight in preventing tragic incidents involving railway workers.
At the time of the accident, the south Wales mainline was operational, and no safety lookouts were deployed to warn the workers of the approaching train.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the regulatory body for rail safety in the UK, brought the prosecution against Network Rail, which pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. In addition to the fine, Network Rail was ordered to pay £175,000 in costs.
The sentence was pronounced on Friday at Swansea Crown Court.
The fatal incident occurred on July 3, 2019, near Margam, Port Talbot, and involved a train traveling from Swansea to London.
An additional worker present at the scene narrowly escaped injury.
Investigators found that the workers were using ear defenders, which may have prevented them from hearing both the warning signals from the train and the emergency braking.
The investigation conducted by the ORR revealed significant lapses in safety measures, indicating that the site safety plan was not properly adhered to and that safety practices had deteriorated over time.
The ORR's findings suggested a pattern of systematic safety failures by Network Rail, reiterating concerns raised in previous safety assessments.
Following the incident, the ORR mandated improvements in worker safety practices across the rail network.
Richard Hines, the HM Chief Inspector of Railways, stated that the penalty reflects the seriousness of Network Rail's safety shortcomings.
He emphasized the critical need for the rail industry to prioritize the safety of its workforce to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, Nick Millington, expressed condolences to the families and colleagues of the deceased workers, acknowledging that their deaths should not have occurred.
He noted that since the tragedy, significant advancements have been made in workforce safety through the implementation of new technologies and planning tools, which have greatly reduced the need for live track work.
The case highlights ongoing concerns within the rail industry regarding safety practices and the importance of regulatory oversight in preventing tragic incidents involving railway workers.
