Safety failures led to fatalities
NETWORK RAIL has been fined £3.75 million and ordered to pay £175,000 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The fine follows an investigation and prosecution by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the industry regulator.
The case relates to the deaths of Michael Lewis and Gareth Delbridge, two Network Rail employees who were struck by a passenger train at Margam, Wales, on 3 July 2019. A third worker narrowly avoided being hit. The trio had been carrying out maintenance work without lookout protection or a line block, which would have prevented trains from entering the section of track they were working on.
The ORR investigation uncovered widespread safety failings within Network Rail’s systems and processes for protecting workers. Inspectors had raised similar concerns in 2018 and 2019, leading to formal enforcement action before the fatal incident occurred.
Since the tragedy, Network Rail has significantly reduced “red-zone working,” where track work continues while lines remain live, and has introduced new safety technologies. However, further track worker fatalities at Roade in 2020 and Surbiton in 2021, along with reports of near misses, highlight the need for continued vigilance.
HM Chief Inspector of Railways, Richard Hines, said: “Our thoughts continue to be with the family, friends, and colleagues of Michael Lewis and Gareth Delbridge. The £3.75 million fine reflects the severity of Network Rail’s failings.
“The rail industry must do everything possible to ensure workers return home safely. While progress has been made, further action is needed to implement new protections more swiftly and effectively. A relentless, collective effort is required to prevent such tragedies from happening again.”
