REMEMBER SOUTHALL

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2023 :: RMTnews 10 The Southall train crash occurred on September 19, 1997 at 1.15pm near Southall station when an Intercity train ploughed into a freight train. It is believed that the 10.32 to Paddington was travelling close to the maximum speed of 125 mph on the Southall approach as it hit the empty goods train being shunted across the main line. There were two safety systems on the train which could have prevented the tragedy - the basic Automatic Warning System (AWS) and a trial version of the more advanced Automatic Train Protection (ATP). However, the AWS was isolated and out of service and the ATP was switched off because the driver was not trained how to use it. The ensuing enquiry identified these issues and raised questions about the negative impact of the recent Tory privatisation of the railway network. The findings of both Southall rail enquiry chair Professor John Uff and health and safety commission chair Bill Callaghan brought new pressures to bear on the New Labour government to reverse the rail privatisation as it had promised before the general election which had brought it to power. Prof Uff highlighted the industry's post-privatisation fragmentation in his report and strongly criticised Railtrack for replacing one set of rules "with a hotchpotch of different rules". He said that the accident occurred in "circumstances which were exacerbated by privatisation", but the findings were largely ignored by politicians. Just two years later the Paddington rail crash occurred on October 5, 1999 at Ladbroke Grove, when two passenger trains collided almost head-on after one of them had passed a signal at danger. With 31 people killed and 417 injured, it was one of the worst rail accidents in British history and the second major accident on the Great Western Main Line in just over two years. Both crashes could have been prevented by an operational ATP system, wider fitting of which had been rejected on cost grounds. The crashes severely damaged public confidence in the management and regulation of safety of Britain's privatised railway system. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that Southall was a significant anniversary. “Our thoughts lie with the families of those killed twenty- six years ago and with the survivors, some of whom still carry physical and mental scars to this day. “Unfortunately, we also still see accidents and near misses directly relating to lack of training and fatigue amongst the workforce. “All workers should have the right to go home safe and healthy every day and every employer has the responsibility to provide a safe working environment – and this includes all the passengers REMEMBER SOUTHALL The Southall train crash 26 years ago killed six people and sparked the slow demise of Railtrack