Railway Inspectorate Annual Reports

A variety of sources of information about railway accidents in Britain is available. The statistics below are derived from two sources, namely Railway Inspectorate and HSE annual reports and BR data. The HSE data are probably the most accessible and simply presented data. This chapter provides a basic and summary picture of the official data. Its intention is to highlight the main... 

Railway Inspectorate 1983 and 1984 Annual Reports note that 176 and 210 complaints by railway staff were dealt with. Subsequent reports do not specify the number of complaints received. 

In his Foreword to the Annual Report the Chief Inspector of Railways commented I will expect operators to go that extra step in the pursuit of safety rather than stop as soon as the figures indicate that they appear justified in doing so. When in doubt decisions should, in my opinion, always be on the safe side (ibid.). The 1997198 Annual Report followed up on these criticisms. In particular it supported the QRA Forum, a cross-industry body, and drawing upon the experiences of the forum commented upon the disparities in the values different companies gave to common risks (HSE, 1998 105). 

The sheer volume of new companies in the industry caused further problems. The 1995196 Annual Report reported that there were more companies active in the operation of the railway than at any stage since the early 1920s (HSE, 1996, p. vii). It continued change, particularly rapid change, carries its own risk (ibid.). This was particularly so as privatization led to an influx of newcomers to the industry, many of whom were unfamiliar with the railways environment. This led to a variety of consequential difficulties. For instance Railtrack and the Railway Inspectorate both encountered difficulties in recruiting suitably qualified personnel. And clearly the need for such personnel has been acute, partly to handle the volume of work created by the privatization but also to cope with the additional work caused by those companies and personnel unfamiliar with the railway environment. The HSE Inquiry docu-... 

Signalling Telecommunications equipment failure database Her Majesty s Railway Inspectorate database/annual reports Generic failure and reliability data sources. 

Health Safety Executive. (1995). Railway Safety HM Railway Inspectorate s Annual Report of the Railways in Great Britain during 1993/4. London Her Majesty s Stationery Office. 

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