Steam enthusiasts here in the UK will once again be disappointed as their heritage rail tours are cancelled being that the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has served the second Prohibition Notice within a year against West Coast Railway (WCR). by removal of the company's safety certificates. The forgoing will prevent the company running any heritage rail services on any part of the National Rail Network with effect from February 18. The notice relates to concerns about WCR’s management of safety, following a number of incidents over the past year.
West Coast Railways had its safety certificate removed and ban imposed previously last year when one of their steam Heritage Tours passed a signal at danger (SPAD) on the Great Western mainline at Wootton Bassett near Swindon. The steam hauled heritage consist was brought to an emergency halt across a junction less than a minute after a high-speed service from Cardiff to London Paddington had passed a through. West Coast Railways had its safety certificate restored and the ban lifted after it gave the office of Rail Regulation assurances that safety improvements would be made. The company and the driver are still waiting to face criminal charges in the High Court for the Wootton Bassett spad but it seems that things still have not improved in regards to safety within the company.
The office of road and rail launched another review of West Coast Railways safety certification in December 2015 following a number of further incidents over the course of that year. The safety incidents involving WCR locomotives and consists include:-
In June 2015, a WCR train moved forward while passengers were still boarding and doors remained open while preparing to leave Reading station, due to miscommunication between the guard and driver.
In September 2015, a WCR train collided with the buffers at Weymouth station. ORR inspectors investigating the incident found WCR’s risk assessments for operating steam trains were out of date, and that WCR staff were not even aware of their existence.
In October 2015, staff on a WCR steam hauled consist near Doncaster turned off a trains Protection and warning System equipment, designed to apply an emergency brake if the driver makes an error.
Ian Prosser, HM Chief Inspector of Railways at ORR, said: “A decision to stop a train operator from running rail services is not taken lightly. However, my concerns about West Coast Railway Company’s lack of appreciation of the seriousness of a collective range of incidents over the last year, coupled with ORR’s concerns on the company’s governance, regrettably make this prohibition necessary. These failings create a significant risk to operations on the main line network.
Steps that west Coast Railways must take before the office of Rail and Road regulation will even consider restoring companies safety certificates include:-
1) The introduction of clearer governance structures with greater accountability for safety.
2) The introduction of a more robust and comprehensive system of risk assessment.
3) Enhanced processes for managing staff with a high focus on safety culture.
It would seem that WCR did not even see fit to send a RIDDOR report (Reporting of Serious Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) following the Weymouth, Dorset incident to the Health and Safety Executive even though the foregoing obligation is one of the most stringent regulations encompassed under the UK Health and Safety at Work Act.
Many senior personnel working within workplace and transport safety here in the UK were surprised when Network Rail and the office of Road and Rail regulation restored the safety certificate to West Coast Railways following the Wootton Bassett spad in March of last year. However, the arguments will once again start no doubt as to whether these "old tin kettles" really should have any place on Britain's high volume and overcrowded mainline rail network especially under the governance of west Coast Railways management.
Bill
West Coast Railways had its safety certificate removed and ban imposed previously last year when one of their steam Heritage Tours passed a signal at danger (SPAD) on the Great Western mainline at Wootton Bassett near Swindon. The steam hauled heritage consist was brought to an emergency halt across a junction less than a minute after a high-speed service from Cardiff to London Paddington had passed a through. West Coast Railways had its safety certificate restored and the ban lifted after it gave the office of Rail Regulation assurances that safety improvements would be made. The company and the driver are still waiting to face criminal charges in the High Court for the Wootton Bassett spad but it seems that things still have not improved in regards to safety within the company.
The office of road and rail launched another review of West Coast Railways safety certification in December 2015 following a number of further incidents over the course of that year. The safety incidents involving WCR locomotives and consists include:-
In June 2015, a WCR train moved forward while passengers were still boarding and doors remained open while preparing to leave Reading station, due to miscommunication between the guard and driver.
In September 2015, a WCR train collided with the buffers at Weymouth station. ORR inspectors investigating the incident found WCR’s risk assessments for operating steam trains were out of date, and that WCR staff were not even aware of their existence.
In October 2015, staff on a WCR steam hauled consist near Doncaster turned off a trains Protection and warning System equipment, designed to apply an emergency brake if the driver makes an error.
Ian Prosser, HM Chief Inspector of Railways at ORR, said: “A decision to stop a train operator from running rail services is not taken lightly. However, my concerns about West Coast Railway Company’s lack of appreciation of the seriousness of a collective range of incidents over the last year, coupled with ORR’s concerns on the company’s governance, regrettably make this prohibition necessary. These failings create a significant risk to operations on the main line network.
Steps that west Coast Railways must take before the office of Rail and Road regulation will even consider restoring companies safety certificates include:-
1) The introduction of clearer governance structures with greater accountability for safety.
2) The introduction of a more robust and comprehensive system of risk assessment.
3) Enhanced processes for managing staff with a high focus on safety culture.
It would seem that WCR did not even see fit to send a RIDDOR report (Reporting of Serious Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) following the Weymouth, Dorset incident to the Health and Safety Executive even though the foregoing obligation is one of the most stringent regulations encompassed under the UK Health and Safety at Work Act.
Many senior personnel working within workplace and transport safety here in the UK were surprised when Network Rail and the office of Road and Rail regulation restored the safety certificate to West Coast Railways following the Wootton Bassett spad in March of last year. However, the arguments will once again start no doubt as to whether these "old tin kettles" really should have any place on Britain's high volume and overcrowded mainline rail network especially under the governance of west Coast Railways management.
Bill
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