BY SHELLIA KENNEDY
LONDON - Six people were killed and 170 were injured in Britain's deadliest rail disaster since 1988. Many working people are discussing how and why this latest train crash could have happened.

Within hours of the crash in Southall, West London, the driver was arrested and questioned "on suspicion of manslaughter." He has not been charged to date, and is currently free on bail.

Front page pictures of most newspapers featured twisted carriages with banner headlines pointing the finger at the driver. Many rail workers reacted angrily to his arrest and the claim that the crash was caused by human error in missing a signal. One train guard (conductor) from Waterloo station said, "Why do they blame the driver, before they even have an inquiry?" A train driver added, "It could have happened anywhere. What they call human error is really pressure." Workers interviewed asked not to be named, for fear of company reprisal.

The crash on September 19 happened when an InterCity fast train traveling at about 100 m.p.h. struck a freight train that was crossing its path. The engine of the passenger trained burst into flames. Carriages were hurled off the rails, trapping riders for up to two and half hours. Other passengers were thrown out of the train. One was decapitated.

As the story has unfolds, it puts a spotlight on declining rail safety standards. Neither of two safety systems on the passenger train were working during its journey at speeds of up to 125 m.p.h. from Swansea to London. According to the driver's log, the Automatic Warning System (AWS) had been "isolated." This device sounds a horn in the cab if a signal indicates the driver should slow down; failure to acknowledge the warning triggers automatic braking. According to the railroad's rules, a train found to have a faulty warning system can complete its journey before being repaired.

In addition, a more sophisticated back up, the Automatic Train Protection (ATP), was not working, although it had been fitted to the train. After a 1988 rail crash at Clapham in which 35 people were killed, an inquiry report called for this device to be used throughout the rail system. But in 1995 the government decided not to implement the recommendation, saying the estimated 1 billion (US$1.6 billion) cost would outweigh its benefits.

As well, the train had only one driver. Until a year ago trains were not permitted to run at more than 100 m.p.h. without a second driver in the cab. But under a productivity deal with the drivers union it was agreed to have a single driver, increasing the possibility of missing a warning signal.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced the day of the crash that the Health and Safety Executive would conduct a public inquiry. It was announced two days later, however, that the inquiry could be delayed well into next year pending the police investigation if there are manslaughter charges against the driver.

The day following the crash, a Militant sales team in the area of the crash found many workers agreed with a placard socialists had made reading, "Don't frame the driver. Rail companies are guilty. People before profits." One rail worker said that in the past, slow freight trains would not cross the path of fast trains, but the cost-cutting of today led to this unsafe practice.

Long working hours on the railroad are also an issue. One of the recommendations of the Clapham inquiry was that rail workers should have a 12-hour gap between shifts and not work for more than 13 days in a row. But the rail companies have found other ways to run workers to the bone. At Waterloo rail station, one driver pointed out that his schedule can include working seven hours without a break during an 11-hour shift. Many drivers and guards at that station had signed up for a bonus scheme that only gave them three days off in six weeks and depends on their never being sick or late to work. The scheme was introduced after a round of layoffs.

Survivors of the crash also reported the trains carriages were packed, with large numbers of passengers standing. Rules that can lead to rail companies being fined for overcrowding had been waived for this line.

In past months some rail workers have responded to the cost cutting moves that have led to declining safety standards.

On Connex South Central, 500 drivers imposed a ban on working during overtime and on rest days June 13 - 25. One in five of its trains out of London had to be canceled as a result. They were reacting to a "restructuring" package of their wages and working conditions, a part of which would have reduced the time for drivers to make safety checks. The dispute is still not resolved.

On Great Eastern Railways, a plan for paying commuters to act as guards on their way to and from work and thus cut the number of full time guards, was scrapped in August after union reaction. Guards are responsible for the safety of trains. The rail companies are now seeking to implement "driver only" trains, with the guards' role downplayed and shifted towards ticket collection. A ballot in September of guards in the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers (RMT) union opposed this move. Despite the vote, individual rail companies are pushing ahead with "restructuring."

Many rail workers point to the declining safety standards as a part of a move last year to privatize the rail network with the current 25 rail operators. A few workers also pointed out that the cost cutting moves such as "driver only," as well as major crashes such as Clapham occurred under the government-run British Rail.

Shellia Kennedy is a member of the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home