Colin Wheeler
A combination of new safety concerns amongst those operating and maintaining privately-owned railways, and concerns for volunteers working on railways, are at the heart of my current concerns for railway safety. In addition, in this age of artificial intelligence, keeping drivers informed when speed restrictions are imposed should be relatively easy but, recent incidents suggest otherwise…
ORR’s annual report
I was recruited into employment direct from university as a graduate trainee and my initial training included working, albeit for a short time only, as a trainee trackman often with a ballast shovel and track fork. Railway safety was reinforced by what was then Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI). When the Health and Safety at Work Act came into being I recall drafting my own detailed Health and Safety policy statement and keeping a record of my site visits and actions.
At the time I was blessed with a local HMRI Inspector who I consulted when revised or new methods of working were being developed. We had a working arrangement which was beneficial to us both. Whenever I was looking at improving our methods of working, our local Inspector made himself available and, together, we developed low risk methods which benefitted us both. The HMRI nowadays reports to, and is essentially part of, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).
In its annual report 2024/2025 the ORR claims that its activities provide, “an independent source of expert advice to Government”. It also states that it has and is being used to support the Great British Railways (GBR) initiative. The report draws attention to the progress being made to move train working companies into public ownership. Current Governmental railway reform will transfer responsibilities from Network Rail to GBR. ORR’s role will alter as a result.
The ORR will also change, and already tenders are being sought by mid-October for the provision of consultancy support to the ORR for the future of “regulatory effectiveness and oversight of both GBR and non GBR operators.”
Bluebell Railway near miss
Meanwhile, it is business as usual for the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) with its bases in Derby and Farnborough. It has recently published advertisements seeking applications from individuals who may be trained to become Inspectors.
RAIB’s work in investigating and reporting on incidents and accidents continues, On 9 August at 15:00 there was a near miss at Sheffield Park Station on the Bluebell Railway. It happened when a steam locomotive moved unexpectedly while being coupled to a second steam locomotive. Both locomotives slowly moved together for about four metres. A volunteer staff member acting as a shunter walked along the track in the gap between the two locomotives. The shunter was able to climb onto the platform when the locomotives stopped moving. The shunter was uninjured but shaken.
Dean Forest Railway accident
The Dean Forest Railway is four and a half miles long and described as “the friendly forest line”. On 14 August at St Mary’s Halt Lydney, a footbridge was struck and destroyed by a 360-degree excavator which was being carried on a wagon designed to carry it. However, the excavator boom was too high to pass under the bridge due to the way the boom was loaded. There were no injuries, but part of the footbridge landed on the train. The train included a guard’s van carrying volunteers.
Gartell Light Railway volunteer injured
The Gartell Light Railway in Somerset was opened to the public in 1991. It has a two-foot gauge, 1.2km long track with a station and depot towards the depot and Common Lane. It is staffed by volunteers and has both diesel and steam locomotives. Common Lane level crossing gates are operated with stop boards and lamps, and only opened by staff when a train needs to pass over.
A works train was preparing to depart from the Common Lane sidings carrying four seated volunteers. The volunteers were seated in the raised end well wagon as shown in the diagram from the report. The person injured was last to join the wagon and was seated on the raised end section (shown as position 5 in the diagram). As the train slowed down, the individual from position 5 alighted to open the gate but their boot got caught up. Their leg was dragged under the leading left-hand wheel.
Rule Book module G1 Section 1.2 is clear and states “you must not get off a moving rail vehicle”.
RAIB’s Safety Digest reminds readers that previous similar occurrences on the Foxfield Light Railway in Staffordshire in October 2010 and Loughborough Central on the Great Central Railway in May 2014.
Speed restrictions overlooked
On 10 June, RAIB published a significant Safety Digest 03/2025 about overspeeds in blanket speed restriction areas on 27 January this year. On 26 January, Network Rail’s Wales and Borders Route Control had decided to impose 50mph blanket speed restrictions due to the forecast of strong winds. Two locations were selected between Swansea and Neath due to “the potential risk of overturning between 06:00 and 18:00 and between Newport and Bishton between 12:00 and 15:00” due to the potential risk from fallen trees.
Also on 27 January, while trialling a new route control system at Wales and Borders, eight trains exceeded the 50mph restrictions. At 11:53 a train travelled through at 61mph followed by another at 69mph. Both were Transport for Wales trains.
At 12:06, a Cross Country train travelled through the Newport speed restriction at 92mph, followed by another at 91mph. At 12:58 another Transport for Wales train went through at 71mph. At 13:14 the driver of a Great Western train contacted the Severn Tunnel signaller and asked if a banket speed restriction was in place. The signaller said there was no restriction in place.
The two blanket speed restrictions notices were sent by email shortly after midday on 26 January. They were also sent separately to a distribution list that included defined contacts for shift signalling managers who supervise groups of signallers. The email went to the inbox of the Severn Tunnel signalling workstation but not to other workstations of the Wales operating centre. Had the signallers been aware, they could have set up reminder announcements to be sent automatically to trains over the GSM-R radio system as drivers approached the sites of speed restrictions.
Some of the drivers involved expected to receive a radio broadcast on the approach to any speed restriction. The train operating companies confirmed receipt of the notices and that they had displayed them in late notice cases for the drivers.
One train was involved in route learning under the direction of a driving instructor, but the instructor had forgotten about the restriction.
Unlike other types of emergency and other speed restrictions there were no warnings, reminders, or visual cues available to train drivers relating to these Blanket Speed Restrictions.
The Safety Digest states: “RAIB has published reports into several incidents involving over speeding incidents in both Scotland and North West England as well as Wales.”
More inspectors needed
I was not surprised to discover that RAIB is advertising to recruit additional inspectors.
RAIB selects incident and accident reports, and chooses those where in-depth inquiries are needed, leading to the publication of reports or Safety Digests. Surely the time has come when speed restrictions etc., should be advised using today’s electronic devices not glass topped display cases?
My hope is for a step change as the new GBR organisation is developed.
Image credit: iStockphoto.com/Bernie_Photo
