No 'absolute' rail safety warns PM

Railtrack was criticised over safety by Lord Cullen

Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned no government can promise "absolute safety" on the UK rail network.

His comment came in a letter read out at a summit on rail safety, organised by survivors of the Paddington crash.

The summit in London was attended by rail leaders politicians and trade unions, who all promised to "fully implement" safety measures recommended after the Ladbroke Grove tragedy in 1999.

If you work on safety first, then punctuality, reliability and faster and better train services will follow

Pam Warren, Paddington Survivors' Group

Transport Secretary Stephen Byers, shadow transport secretary Theresa May, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy and Railtrack safety director Chris Leah, were among those who attended.

A total of 31 people died when a Thames Trains driver went through a red signal and collided with a Great Western express in west London in October 1999.

Mr Byers read out the letter from Mr Blair, in which the prime minister said he was grateful for the contribution of the Paddington Survivors Group, in the wake of the crash.

In the letter, he said: "No government can guarantee absolute safety on the railways but more can be done and will be done to make the railways safer."

The three Cullen reports "pointed the way forward to restoring confidence in the safety of the railways", Mr Blair added.

Lord Cullen, who presided over a public inquiry into the crash, made dozens of recommendations relating to Paddington and also to general rail safety.

Lord Cullen recommended a rail radio system

At the time of the summit's announcement Pam Warren, of the survivors' group, said she was determined to make sure the recommendations were not ignored.

On Tuesday, Mrs Warren, from Reading, Berkshire, said: "If you work on safety first, then punctuality, reliability and faster and better train services will follow.

"But if time scales are not met, we shall be asking very hard questions," she warned.

Mrs Warren was so badly burnt in the crash she had to wear a protective face mask for months.

After signing the summit pledge on the recommendations, Mr Byers said: "This has to be the right way forward.

"What we can do is work together to ensure that we take all the steps necessary to deliver a safe railway system."

Escape routes

Lord Cullen's recommendations include the need to improve safety information for passengers, emergency lighting and the operation of internal and external doors.

The creation of train window escape routes, improving internal and external communications and training on-board staff, are also recommended.

There is also the need to investigate the "human factor" in the analysis of incidents of "signals passed at danger".

A national system of radio communication between trains and signallers and improvements in trains' ability to withstand an accident, are also called for.

Lord Cullen's three reports looked at the Paddington crash individually, and at general rail safety across the UK.