Missing bolt 'not safety issue'

Railtrack said the bolt was replaced within two hours

Railtrack has said a missing track bolt did not compromise safety after a commuter pointed out the defect.

The company said the missing bolt, which was spotted on the Chase Line in Cannock, Staffordshire, was one of a set of four linking two rails and would not have rendered the track unsafe.

Former rail maintenance engineer Anthony Ryczek reported the fault to Railtrack after noticing it while waiting for a train.

Mr Ryczek claimed that it took three days for Railtrack to replace it.

Regular checks

He said: "I was looking at the train and I noticed one of the bolts had broken off the fishplate.

"It was very apparent to me and I would have thought regular checks would have picked up on it."

However Railtrack said that repair staff were sent to the site and replaced the bolt within two hours of the report.

A spokeswoman said the stretch of line in question was checked twice weekly.

She added: "A single bolt missing from a four-bolt fishplate doesn't actually compromise safety in the short term.

"A bolt believed to be the one in question was replaced within two hours of the report. When another call came in, we went out again immediately."