Transport Secretary “determined” to learn lessons from fatal Bedford train crash
Heidi Alexander is urging people not to speculate on the investigation
The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, says she is “determined we get all the answers we’re looking for, and that lessons are learned”, following the fatal train collision near Bedford.
Shaun Burton, 60, died when the East Midlands Railway (EMR) train he was driving collided into the back of another on the same line shortly after 5pm on Friday.
100 other people were injured in the crash when the front of the 4.40pm Friday departure from Corby to London St Pancras hit the rear of the 3.50pm departure from Nottingham to the same destination.
British Transport Police confirmed eight people are still in a critical condition, while 53 others are still in hospital.
The Secretary of State for Transport gave an update in the House of Commons yesterday (Monday) afternoon.
Ms Alexander asked for patience while an investigation into the crash takes place.
She said the Rail Accident Investigation Branch was looking into what happened and there would be an update “in the coming days”.
“While I completely understand the strength of feeling out there, while I hear the clamour for answers, for the need to understand the cause of this tragedy, I must ask everyone for some patience, as hard as I know that will be.
“I am determined we get all the answers we’re looking for, and that lessons are learned.
“The Rail Accident Investigation Branch, whose inspectors were on the scene within hours, have already launched an independent investigation, and they have confirmed there will be an update in the coming days.
“They, and they alone, will identify the cause and will make recommendations, which I will consider with the utmost care and due diligence.
“Meanwhile, I urge everyone to await their findings and to hold off on speculation.”
Emergency services were on the scene “within minutes”, Ms Alexander said, followed by a joint response from fire and rescue services, the ambulance service, the National Police Air Service, the British Transport Police, Bedfordshire Police and railway staff.
The Transport Secretary said: “They evacuated passengers safely, provided medical assistance, secured the railway and began recovery operations.
“By 11pm, all passengers were clear of the scene.”
Transport committee chairwoman Ruth Cadbury pressed for “support be put in place for those who drive trains and work in other roles on that route when it reopens, because that could be fairly traumatic”.
Ms Alexander replied: “The whole of the railway family has come together to ensure that that support is put in place for individuals who could have experienced very significant trauma.
“That will obviously apply to passengers who were caught up in this terrible incident, but it will also apply to the staff of EMR as well.”
She also said investigators will be “appropriately resourced and appropriately equipped in order to do their work thoroughly” when pressed on the issue in the chamber.
EMR has a customer care and welfare team to provide assistance to passengers, and they have also set up a dedicated care line that anyone affected can contact.
The railway between Bedford and Luton is expected to remain closed for the rest of the week with “limited” replacement buses, according to Network Rail.
Services are running between Luton and London St Pancras.