Railway Safety

Formal inquiry to begin into Hatfield train accident
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date 31 October 2000
source Railway Safety
type Press release

An independent formal inquiry into the Hatfield train crash will begin today (Tuesday 31 October).

The inquiry, which is being held on behalf of the rail industry, is being organised and co-ordinated by Railtrack's Safety and Standards Directorate.

An independent inquiry panel, which comprises mechanical and civil engineers and an operational specialist, will be tasked with identifying the immediate causes of the derailment and any root causes. The inquiry must also report any recommendations necessary to reduce the risk of such an accident happening again on the network.

It will centre on the interaction between train and track, and the design, maintenance and condition of the track, infrastructure and rolling stock involved in the accident in which four people died and many more were injured.

The inquiry will be tasked with looking at events leading up to the derailment, renewals work on the network, and monitoring and management of contractors.

It will also focus on on-train recording equipment, types of vehicle and frequency on the route, staff competency and any other factors that may have contributed to the accident.

The inquiry is expected to last at least three weeks and its report and recommendations will follow as quickly as possible.

Ends

Contact Alison Flynn on 020 7904 7524 for further information.

Email: enquiries@railwaysafety.org.uk

Concerns about operational safety on the Railway should be reported to Railtrack's 24-hour helpline on 0845 711 4141

Railhub Archive ::: 2000-10-31 RSA-001