RMT DEMANDS FULL INQUIRY INTO NETWORK RAIL OPERATIONS

F ollowing the Grayrigg coroners court verdict that faulty points were to blame for the deadly crash in 2007, RMT called for a public inquiry into the management and operations of Network Rail. During the inquest evidence was heard that workers were under 'constant pressure' due to their large volume of work and that management were trying to save funds by cutting corners with public safety. The inquest was looking into the circumstances of the death of 84-year old Margaret Masson, who died after a Virgin Pendolino derailed on February 23 2007 at Grayrigg, just north of Kendal. The jury was shown damning evidence including emails which stated: “Whilst I understand the need to remain within budget, I am at a loss to understand how I am expected to maintain a safe and compliant railway.” Outside the coroner's court the victim's son, George Masson said: "In my eyes it is negligence on Network Rail's part. “The one that tried to make changes lost his job, his pension, he was not listened to from above. "He's got my utmost respect for what he tried to do, it's been swept under the carpet. “They have not learned from Potter's Bar," he said. Further evidence was heard that inspections of the line after the crash showed that 700 points on the line from Motherwell to Crewe were faulty. The union pointed to the evidence given at the coroners court that there had been a fundamental disagreement between senior NR officers about their ability to maintain the infrastructure on the WCML when the line speed was allowed to increase to facilitate Virgin’s Pendolino trains. Network Rail’s own report on the derailment found that ‘’no structured assessment was undertaken to establish whether sufficient resources existed’’ and that “management systems employed…were not sufficiently robust’’. RMT general secretary Bob Crow called for a public inquiry as it was crystal clear that too many political careers and financial incentives for senior management depended on meeting deadlines regardless of safety RMT DEMANDS FULL INQUIRY INTO NETWORK RAIL OPERATIONS FOLLOWING GRAYRIGG VERDICT Bereaved family exonerates “scapegoat” and blames Network Rail for the tragedy 24 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2011 :: RMTnews