A final report released by the UK's Rail Accident and Investigation Branch (RAIB) has confirmed that a failure to maintain and check a set of faulty points was responsible for the February 2007 derailment of a Virgin West Coast train in Grayrigg, Cumbria, which killed one passenger and injured dozens more.
The derailment of the train travelling from London Euston to Glasgow occurred as a result of a mechanical failure and incorrectly set up points, which were not fixed as a result of a missed inspection.
All nine carriages of the Class 390 Pendolino were derailed, fatally injuring one 84-year-old woman and seriously injuring a further 89 passengers and staff.
The report also concluded that there was an incomplete understanding of the design, maintenance and inspection of the workings of the points due to a limited application of a risk-based assessment.
Network Rail's chief executive Iain Coucher said that the company accepted responsibility for the crash.
"Following a comprehensive and detailed industry investigation we made immediate changes to our maintenance regime," he said.
Shortly after publishing the report the RAIB issued urgent safety advice to the UK's rail industry relating to the inspection and maintenance of points, the design of fastener systems and their relevant inspection processes.
By Daniel Garrun
