The follows a recent incident at Cradlehall near Inverness in which a train travelling at over 50mph struck the end of a piece of rail that had been left on the line after work the previous night.

 

The train pushed the 130m long rail to the side, so did not derail. RAIB says it is not yet clear why Network Rail’s current standards, which require track inspections to confirm their safety after works have been completed, were not effective on this occasion.

 

Several similar incidents have taken place over the last four years. In June 2015 a passenger train struck a wooden sleeper on the line near Somerleyton in Suffolk, after it had fallen from a trailer used to collect scrap material from the lineside the previous day.

 

A passenger train was also damaged in October 2014 when it struck an equipment cabinet door in Watford tunnel. RAIB investigated and concluded that the door was not properly secured following engineering work in the tunnel.

 

This particular incident led Network Rail to introduce the role of ‘Person in Charge’ (PIC) to the latest version of its standard to manage risk during work on the track in 2017. The PIC is responsible for all aspects of safety during and on completion of the work.

 

RAIB now calls on Network Rail – “given the serious nature of the most recent incident” – to urgently review the effectiveness of the steps it has taken to address the problem, and to implement any further measures needed to ensure the safety of the line following engineering works.

 

Commenting on the incident near Inverness on behalf of Network Rail, ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes said: “We launched a full investigation after this incident and have taken immediate steps to highlight the seriousness to all our employees.

 

“Those staff involved directly in the incident are currently not working in front line roles, while they assist with the investigation.

 

“We have emphasised to our track maintenance teams the importance of thoroughly inspecting all completed work before any trains are allowed to run and are reviewing how we manage this type of maintenance work,” he added.

 

“The safety of our customers should never be put at risk. We are learning from this incident and putting additional measures in place to prevent a similar incident occurring in the future.”

 

♦ Network Rail has been fined £733,000 by Bristol Crown Court over the derailment of a freight train near Gloucester in 2013.

 

The organisation was prosecuted by the Office of Rail & Road for failing to undertake adequate track maintenance to prevent the incident, despite identifying an ongoing defect.