13 January 2012    Network Rail faces criminal proceedings

Network Rail is to face criminal proceedings for a breach of health and safety law which caused a train to derail near Grayrigg in 2007.

The criminal proceedings was issued today by The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) concerning the 17.15 Virgin Trains service from London Euston to Glasgow Central derailment on the West Coast Mainline near Grayrigg in Cumbria on 23 February 2007.

On board were 109 people which resulted in one fatality, 86 people were injured, 28 seriously.

Network Rail is facing a charge under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This results from the company’s ‘failure to provide and implement suitable and sufficient standards, procedures, guidance, training, tools and resources for the inspection and maintenance of fixed stretcher-bar points’.

The first hearing is due to take place at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court on 24 February 2012.