Timeline: Paddington crash inquiry

The train crash took place on 5 October 1999

The Ladbroke Grove rail crash has been the subject of a complex series of public inquiries.

Headed by senior Scottish judge Lord Cullen, the main inquiry was divided in two. It is the findings of the first portion - an investigation of the crash itself - which are now ready for public scrutiny.

The second part of Lord Cullen's inquiry - held between September and December 2000 - considered general aspects of rail safety brought to light by the crash.

A separate joint inquiry examined factors common to the Ladbroke Grove disaster and a similar crash at Southall in 1997, including train protection systems and signals passed at danger.

The joint inquiry made its recommendations public in March, while the report from the second part of Lord Cullen's inquiry is expected later this year.

Here is a chronological guide to BBC News Online's coverage of the Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry.

5 OCTOBER 1999
How the accident happened
Thirty-one people lost their lives when two trains collided at Ladbroke Grove, near London's Paddington station.

10 MAY 2000
Anger as crash inquiry begins
Survivors and bereaved relatives voice their anger at the decision not to bring manslaughter charges.

11 MAY
Bosses 'put shareholders before lives'
Thames Trains paid shareholders nearly £7.5m in dividends - but refused to spend £5.26m on a life-saving train protection system, the inquiry hears.

18 MAY
Passenger forced to climb over bodies
A passenger breaks down in tears as he recalls how he had to climb over bodies to escape the twisted wreckage.

22 MAY
Rail crash failings conceded
Passengers trying to escape the express were hindered by a lack of emergency instruction signs, admits the train operator.

26 MAY
Train lacked safety kit
Passengers trapped in one of the trains had no emergency hammers to smash their way out, the inquiry hears.

30 MAY
Alarm delay in Paddington Crash
The signaller on duty tells the inquiry how he did nothing for up to 25 seconds after watching one train pass a red light.

31 MAY
Paddington driver 'had no route map'
Novice driver Michael Hodder had to rely on handwritten route plans because proper maps were not provided, the inquiry is told.

13 JUNE
Railtrack 'ignored safety proposals'
Suggestions to improve safety on the approaches to Paddington station were ignored for almost five years, the inquiry hears.

21 JUNE
Safety recommendations 'ignored'
Railtrack ignored key recommendations from an earlier inquiry which called for a study into the misreading of signals on the track.

14 JULY
Rail safety inspectors 'overworked'
Railway inspectors missed safety concerns about signalling before the Paddington train crash because they were overworked.

18 JULY
'Safety relaxed' before Paddington crash
Railtrack chief executive Gerald Corbett says a team of men trying to improve safety on the stretch of track at Ladbroke Grove might have relaxed their efforts before the crash occurred.

27 JULY
Final evidence on Paddington crash
Closing submissions in the first stage of the Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry.

17 APRIL 2001
Bosses criticised in safety report
The Health and Safety Executive says the rail industry failed to learn from trains passing red signals in the months leading up to Paddington.