Colin Wheeler
On 5 November, the proposal to establish Great British Railways (GBR) was formally laid before Parliament. As part of this major reorganisation, the role of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) will change significantly. The ORR will become responsible for providing independent advice to the Secretary of State, while continuing to exercise its licence enforcement role. At the same time, the Secretary of State will take on a greater role in holding GBR to account.
The ORR’s funding arrangements will also change, providing a broader scope than the current process. This will support an expanded role in advising funders on GBR’s access decisions, setting charges for use of the railway network, and handling a new appeals function.
These developments sit alongside welcome initiatives to increase services using the Channel Tunnel rail link. The responsibilities and accountabilities of the ORR are already growing and look set to continue doing so.
I recall the competitive process that led to the decision to locate the headquarters of GBR in Derby. While details of its organisation, roles and responsibilities for infrastructure, freight, and passenger services remain unspecified, they will undoubtedly become the subject of debate. The reunification of train operations with railway infrastructure should reduce delays and operational problems, and improve reliability, punctuality, and capacity for both passenger and freight services.
AI and engineering judgement
There are clear improvements and efficiencies to be gained through the careful introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). However, the expertise and commitment of operators, along with those who maintain and renew railway infrastructure, will remain crucial to the safe operation of future rail traffic and to the exercise of sound engineering judgement.
It has been suggested that future roles will be increasingly focused on data analysis, decision-making, and the complex interventions that automated systems cannot handle. In this context, several key roles have been highlighted. Asset Engineers and Managers will have specific responsibilities for determining when and how major repairs and renewals are undertaken.
I also strongly endorse the continued appointment of Track and Structures Inspectors. While many routine inspections may be automated, human inspectors will be essential in verifying inspection findings and carrying out detailed, tactile surveys. They will also be responsible for managing immediate safety concerns on site, where professional judgement remains irreplaceable.
Engineering technicians will require new skills to operate and maintain advanced robotic and AI systems, enabling a move away from many manual, high-risk tasks.
RAIB workload
Hopefully, in time, all of this will reduce the workload of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). Meanwhile it is investigating a near miss with a member of ground staff who was carrying out shunting duties on a stationary train on the Washwood Heath Goods Loop on 18 September. The loop is adjacent to the Up Derby Slow line which was open to traffic. The shunter was between the two lines when the train approached. The shunter had to move quickly to the rear of the freight train to reach a position of safety. No one was injured and no damage was done.
Near miss at Millbrook
On 25 September there was a near miss between a passenger train travelling at 108mph and a van. The van had been reversed onto the track at an access point near Millbrook. The plan was for the railway staff to work on the Up and Down Slow lines which were blocked to traffic. However, the work group accessed the Up and Down Fast lines which were open to traffic! When the near miss occurred, the rear of the van was near the Up Fast. The RAIB is investigating and a Safety Digest will be issued.
Life changing injuries
At around 15:37 on 7 October, at Crossacres on the Manchester Metrolink, an 11-year-old child became trapped between the platform and a departing tram and was dragged along the platform for around 15 to 20 metres. Life changing injuries were the result. The RAIB investigation is underway and will consider “the actions of those involved, management and risks at tram stops, management and risks when running two trams together, management and training of staff, and underlying factors.”
Fatality on footpath crossing
RAIB has issued its report on the Barneview footpath crossing fatality that took place on 23 January 2025. At about 08:03 near Kenley in the Borough of Croydon, a child was struck and fatally injured by a train travelling at around 50mph. The child was walking to school when they entered the crossing as the train approached. The driver sounded the train’s horn and applied emergency brakes on realising the pedestrian was starting to cross the railway. The report says that “the pedestrian looked up in response to the horn but did not have time to react and move clear.”
The report says that “the accident happened because they did not perceive the risk, probably because they were distracted by their mobile phone”. It also comments that access to information relating to safe use of level crossings for schools and parents is not sufficiently widespread and that “Network Rail’s guidance for risk assessments did not recognise the different risk profile of younger people”.
RAIB has made three recommendations. One is for schools nationwide to work with infrastructure managers to introduce targeted and locally relevant safety lessons for pupils of all ages.
Two further recommendations are addressed to Network Rail working with the Rail Safety and Standards Board. The first is to “make the dangerous areas of level crossings more noticeable, particularly to people whose attention may be distracted.”
The final recommendation is “to understand the risk profile of younger people and whether this warrants different approaches to risk mitigation at level crossings.”
Additionally, RAIB identified a learning point for consideration of what action could be taken to alert users to the danger of individual level crossings where the provision of its standards cannot be met, and to record these considerations in the risk assessment.
Shap derailment
At around 06:10 on 3 November, the Glasgow to London Euston passenger train derailed after running into debris from a landslip three miles south of Shap summit. Debris had been washed onto the track which lifted the first bogie off the rails and to the right. The 83mph derailment ran on for some 560 metres. On the train were nine staff and 86 passengers. Four people suffered minor injuries and there was damage to both the railway infrastructure and the train.
There had been “heavy and sustained rainfall” and “a drainage channel running across the slope above was unable to cope with the volume of water that resulted in a landslip.”
RAIB is investigating.
Image credit: GOV.UK
