Rail firm defends safety record

There were 56 incidents in May

Scottish train operator ScotRail has defended its safety record after it was criticised by regulators over drivers passing danger signals.

ScotRail was one of 10 train companies warned by the Railways Inspectorate that it was not doing enough to prevent drivers passing red lights.

The company, which operates the majority of trains north of the border, was criticised because the number of Spads (signals passed at danger) had improved only slightly.

A ScotRail spokesman said the company took safety very seriously and had significantly reduced the number of incidents last year.

ScotRail operates north of the border

The train operators were criticised in a letter sent out to coincide with the publication of figures showing the number of Spads last month was higher than the same month last year.

The operators were told by the Railway Inspectorate they face enforcement action, and potential prosecutions, if safety records are not improved.

The inspectorate, part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), has also written to all Britain's train companies about their "unacceptable" approach to dealing with signals particularly prone to Spad incidents.

The moves come despite last year's Ladbroke Grove train crash, which killed 31 people and involved a signal passed at danger, and last week's highly critical Cullen Report into the tragedy.

ScotRail spokesman, Raymond Johnston, said: "I think the figures they have surround the long term average rather than last year's results.

"Last year we had a 22% reduction, which was better than the national average.

Firms warned

Thames Trains

Great Western

Anglia

Arriva Trains

Merseyside

Cardiff Railway

Great Eastern

GNER

Wales & West

ScotRail

Connex South Central

"It is a subject that is taken very seriously. It is obviously very high up our agenda. We put a great deal of effort into it and we have led in the past on many new initiatives, including the confidential reporting system."

Robert Samson, deputy secretary of the Rail Passengers Committee Scotland, said: "Since privatisation the amount of signals passed at danger have reduced significantly since it was in the public sector, so it is not a case of private against public.

"It is a case of looking at the root cause, what is causing these Spads and how can we reduce them.

"We know that companies like ScotRail and EWS have come up with a defensive driving technique in autumn when there are leaves on the line and there are wintery conditions - so they are looking at all aspects of driver training to minimise the risk of Spads.

"Spads will always occur. You can't reduce them to a zero level, but we can try to reduce it as much as we can and I believe the rail industry is continually looking at this together with the regulators and the Health and Safety Executive to reduce it to as low a level as possible."

The HSE said that there were 56 instances of trains passing signals at danger in May 2001 - 21 more than in May 2000 and seven more than the average figure for this month over the last six years.

Although overall the figures have dropped over the past year, this is the first time that a monthly average over the last six years has been exceeded since June 1999.