Rail

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) – the primary producer of official statistics for Britain’s railway – has today (19 May 2022) published new data showing that Britain continues to have one of the safest railways in Europe.

Railway infrastructure company, VolkerRail Ltd. has been fined £550,000 after pleading guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 after an investigation and prosecution by industry regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

On 10 May 2002, seven people sadly lost their lives and many more were injured in a train derailment at Potters Bar. 20 years on, one of our safety inspectors provides an account of attending the scene and subsequent investigations.

London’s Elizabeth line has received its final authorisations of its trains, stations, and infrastructure from the rail regulator ahead of its opening on Tuesday 24 May.

Welcome to the May edition of the stakeholder newsletter.

Network Rail has been fined £1.4 million for a health and safety breach after an investigation by the Office of Rail and Road. ORR found failings that led to a worker being crushed between the conveyor of a 25 tonne ‘Superboss’ ballast distributor (see image) and Kubota people carrier.

The railway has always been about building connections through an integrated network which links towns, cities and even countries – bringing people together who live hundreds of miles apart.

As the country recovers from the operational and financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has launched its business plan for 2022/23, explaining how it will ramp up holding Network Rail and National Highways to account.