Rail to have own investigation branch
By Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent
A SPECIALIST rail crash investigation body will be set up to ensure swift action to improve safety after collisions.
People injured or bereaved by accidents will get regular briefings on the progress of the crash investigation.
The Railway Accident Investigation Branch, which will be created by a Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech, was recommended by Lord Cullen in his report following the 1999 Paddington rail disaster.
Setting up the body would put rail on a par with aviation, which has its Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and shipping, which has its Marine Accident Investigation Branch.
At present, rail accidents are investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, which, in effect, investigates itself because it is the industry’s safety regulator. The HSE was criticised at the Paddington inquiry for failing to take tougher action against obscured signals.
The new body’s sole purpose will be to investigate accidents on the railways. Investigators will have wide-ranging powers to gather evidence, with unfettered access to crash scenes. It will be an offence not to cooperate with their investigations. The rail industry will also have a duty to preserve evidence. However, the Queen’s Speech did not include any reform of the corporate manslaughter laws. Victims of rail crashes had been keen to see measures to make company directors personally responsible. The Government has repeatedly promised to introduce such measures but there is little chance of any change in the law before the next election.
posted by Charles at Sunday, November 17, 2002
