Investigation and enforcement

Our enforcement work is central to maintaining rail health and safety standards. We use statutory powers to address serious risks and breaches of the law. Improvement Notices require remedial action where significant breaches occur, while Prohibition Notices are used where there is an imminent risk of serious injury. In 2025 to 2026, we issued eight Improvement Notices and no Prohibition Notices.

We also prosecute where necessary. During the year, we concluded one prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974:

• First Greater Western Limited (Great Western Railway) was fined £1 million on 3 October 2025 following a fatal incident in December 2018 near Twerton. A passenger sustained fatal head injuries after leaning out of a droplight window and striking a tree branch. Our investigation found GWR had delayed producing a written risk assessment despite earlier incidents and had not implemented all identified risk controls before the accident.

We continued to support the Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into the 2020 Carmont derailment, in which three people died. Final hearings took place in early 2026, with submissions made in March; we now await the Sheriff’s determination.

In April 2025, we received the Sheriff’s determination into the 2018 fatality at Saughton Tram Crossing in Edinburgh. The Sheriff found that the issues had been addressed and made no further recommendation.