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Network Rail fined ^150,000 over track accidents

Network Rail has been fined ^150,000 for breaching health and safety laws following the death of one worker and the serious injury of another.

Charles Stockwell, from Reading, was hit by a train and killed while welding at Ruscombe, Berkshire in April 2007.

Track worker David Coles was struck by a train which severed his leg in 2008 at Kennington Junction near Oxford.

The sentencing at Reading Crown Court follows a lengthy investigation by the Office of Rail Regulation.

The regulator found Network Rail had failed to ensure the safety of its employees.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "Network Rail respects the verdict of the court and has apologised today for its shortcomings. The judge acknowledged that we have made improvements to our maintenance regime. We will always strive to make further improvements."

Rail death fine 'a joke' say family

The family of a railway worker hit by a train say a ^150,000 fine imposed on Network Rail over health and safety breaches is ^peanuts^.

Father-of-two Charles Stockwell, from The Hydes, Tilehurst, died instantly when he was struck by a train while welding a stretch of the line at Ruscombe in April 2007. He was 50.

His widow Karen, 56, and son Leon, 31, told the Reading Post how they felt insulted by the fine, which was issued along with ^32,500 in costs by Judge John Reddihough at Reading Crown court on Friday.

The company was prosecuted by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) following Mr Stockwell^s death and another worker David Coles, whose leg was severed at Kennington Junction near Oxford in May 2008.

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Both accidents occurred during so-called ^Red Zone^ working, where trains continue to use the line, as opposed to ^Green Zone^ when they don^t run.

The ORR investigation concluded that Network Rail had failed to ensure the safety of its employees at both sites.

Mrs Stockwell, who was in court with her son, said: ^It is not the fault of ORR what the judge decided to fine Network Rail. They have done everything they can and felt it was a good victory.

^But I feel they should have been fined more.

^To you and me ^150,000 is a lot of money but to a big corporation like that it^s peanuts.^

The Stockwells have accused Network Rail of putting profit before people and fear the fine will have little effect in safeguarding the welfare of railway workers.

Leon, who previously worked on the railways, said: ^Whatever they say it is not going to bring my dad back, but the fine is a joke.

^They are not going to learn anything. They are just going to treat it as a slap on the wrist.

^Bang them a couple of million pounds and they might actually start thinking we can^t afford to lose this kind of money and start learning something.^

Mr Stockwell would have celebrated his 56th birthday yesterday and the family, who have received compensation from Network Rail, are still coming to terms with the loss.

Mrs Stockwell said: ^Sometimes I see him on the track and that train coming even though I wasn^t there because I have been told about it so often.

^It turns your life around. A lot of people say you look well on the outside, but it is what you feel on the inside that is important. And I feel terrible sometimes.^

Leon added: ^I am just trying to get on with my life. I will never forget about him and what happened and think about him every day.

^I used to go out and play football and he would come out and watch and when that stopped I started to lose interest in a lot of stuff.^

Tom Wake, ORR^s deputy director of railway safety, said Network Rail^s ^poor planning and inadequate management^ of work on the railway were to blame.

Network Rail has made a number of changes to improve safety for its track workers including reducing the amount of ^Red Zone^ working.

In the last two years the company has increased the amount of maintenance work carried out at times when no trains are running from 50 per cent to 75 per cent.

Mr Wake said: ^These were serious failings on Network Rail^s part with tragic consequences. We acknowledge that Network Rail has made a number of changes to improve safety for track workers since these incidents. But as the failings were significant, Network Rail must be held to account.^

Network Rail spokesman Jon Crampton said: ^Network Rail respects the verdict of the court and has apologised for its shortcomings.^