Department of Transport

Cowden rail crash report published
_______________________________________________________________

date 9 June 1995
source Department of Transport
type Press release

note 175

The Secretary of State for Transport, Dr Brian Mawhinney, today
announced the publication of Part I of the Inspector's report into
the collision between two passenger trains at Cowden last October.

Some of its recommendations have already been implemented. British
Rail and Railtrack will now consider the report very carefully to see
what further implications there are for rail safety. The Secretary of
State has asked to see these proposals on completion.

Notes to Editors

1. The report concluded that the line was safely and adequately
signalled, that there was no malfunction of the signalling equipment
and that the driver of the up train was wholly responsible for the
accident.

2. Safety considerations take precedence in specifying any new
railway investment. Investment in the railway industry has been
running at record levels over recent years.

3. Rail travel remains an extremely safe form of transport. Safety
will continue to be of paramount importance when the railways are
privatised. The independent Health and Safety Commission set the
framework for safety in the privatised railways. Their
recommendations were accepted in full by the Government and have been
implemented.

4. The Secretary of State asked the Inspector to publish his report
in two parts to avoid delaying publication of the majority of his
findings that are not dependent on the Inquest: Part I deals with the
adequacy of the safety mechanisms and procedures on the line; Part
II will address the question of who was driving the train and take
account of the additional forensic evidence that will be given at the
Inquest.

Railhub Archive ::: 1995-06-09 DoT-001