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7 October 2005 - 13.5 Million Pound Fines
for Hatfield Rail Disaster
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Judge Justice Mackay passed his sentence at the Old Bailey today
for the Hatfield Rail Disaster in which 4 people died and 102 were injured, when
the King's Cross to Leeds train was derailed on 17 October 2000.
Judge Mackay ordered that Balfour Beatty be fined 10 million
pounds and the rail operator, Network Rail, 3.5 million pounds, with both being
ordered to pay £300,000 pounds each in costs.
Mr. Mackay, acknowledging the families of the victims who were
in the courtroom, said:
"No fine or penalty can ever bring back those who have been
lost.
"Balfour Beatty's failure to maintain the track was the worst
example of industrial negligence I have seen and Network Rail's failings were
lamentable."
Mr. Mackay also said that in his 30 years in the legal
profession, he regarded the company's failure as:
"The worst example of sustained industrial negligence in a
high-risk industry he had ever seen".
In a statement from Mr. Bob Crow, General Secretary of RMT,
Britain's largest railway union, he said:
"Compared with the carnage caused, these fines are a paltry
amount -- and this is recycled public money anyway."
Balfour Beatty also commented in a statement and said:
"Hatfield was a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the
bereaved families and with those injured and otherwise affected by it."
"It had apologised for problems with its track patrolling and
inspection activities.
"It is, however, clear that the accident arose as a result of a systemic failure
of the industry as a whole."
Chairman of Network Rail Ian McAllister said:
"The Hatfield accident was a tragedy for all concerned. And
no amount of fine can offset the hurt and distress caused to the relatives of
those who died and also to the injured.
"But I also think you have to remember that the railways since then have
changed fundamentally."
"Maintenance had been brought in house and new technology introduced which
had changed the mentality of the industry away from find and fix to one of
predict and prevent.
"And the reason we have done that is in order to reduce the risk of an
incident like Hatfield ever happening again. And we believe we have
minimised that risk."
Safe Trains Action Group Vice Chairman Carol Bell said:
"We have said that there have to be bigger, swingeing fines
for companies and it's good to see that there have been in this case.
"The size of these fines sends a message to companies that they must take full
regard of safety."
The final comment on this tragedy must come from Mr. Garry Fellows, who was
severely injured in the crash, who said:
"I hope the money will be spent on improving the railways. I
think that would only be some form of justice."
We at HSfB, our Members and Guests would like to send our
heartfelt sympathies to all the families involved in this terrible disaster
and hope that lessons of inadequate safety procedures have been truly heeded.
Our previous news reports on the Hatfield Rail Disaster can be
accessed by clicking the following:
4
October 2005 - Update on Hatfield Rail Disaster
The first and second interim reports on the Hatfield Disaster
can be accessed from the HSE Webpage by clicking the following:
Hatfield Train Derailment
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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