Latest news with #GarethDelbridge
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘Tragedy must never be repeated' say families of railway track workers killed by a train
The families of two men who 'lost their lives in an instant' after being hit by a train while working on the tracks in South Wales have said the tragedy must never be repeated. Network Rail was fined almost £4million at Swansea Crown Court on Friday after the deaths of the two track workers in July 2019. Gareth Delbridge, 64, and Michael 'Spike' Lewis, 58, were struck and killed by a train at Margam, near Port Talbot, after the company failed to put in place proper measures to protect workers, with no long-distance lookout in place. Network Rail was fined £3.75million and had to pay £175,000 in costs for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by Recorder Christian Jowett. The families of Mr Delbridge and Mr Lewis paid tribute to their lost loved ones, saying the 'tragedy must never be repeated' and blamed their employer for failing to protect them. In a statement issued through the law firm Hugh James, they said: 'On July 3 2019 Gareth Delbridge and Michael Lewis lost their lives in an instant, leaving an irreplaceable void in their families and among those who knew them. 'Their tragic and untimely deaths serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the risks faced by railway workers every day. 'The profound impact of their loss continues to be felt deeply by their loved ones, friends, and colleagues. 'Gareth and Mike were not just workers; they were devoted family members, cherished friends, and valued members of their community. 'Their absence is felt in every moment, and the pain of losing them remains immeasurable. 'What makes this tragedy even more devastating is that their deaths were preventable. The failure of both their employer and the regulator to implement and enforce proper safety protocols cost them their lives. 'This should never have happened and there needs to be accountability to ensure that no other family has to endure such unimaginable loss.' The family acknowledged that progress had been made in track worker safety since the incident in 2019, but urged the industry to 'continue prioritising and improving safety measures'. They said: 'No life should be put at unnecessary risk due to systemic failures or inadequate protections. 'Though no amount of change can bring Gareth and Mike back, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that their deaths lead to lasting improvements in railway safety. 'Their legacy must be one of change – change that protects workers, saves lives, and ensures that such a tragedy is never repeated.' The judge said issues surrounding safety policy had been known for some time ahead of the incident but Network Rail had failed to make improvements. In the absence of technological solutions, the only protection workers had was a lookout, which Mr Jowett described as the 'lowest level of protection'. Despite a bend in the track, no long-distance lookout had been put in place, and the workers were using noisy machinery. The judge said none of the workers were aware of the approaching train 'until it was too late'. In a statement on Friday, Nick Millington, route director at Network Rail Wales & Borders, said the deaths 'should never have happened on our railway'. He insisted the company had continued to make safety improvements since the incident, with new technology and planning tools having 'almost entirely eliminated the need to work on the railway when trains are running'. He said: 'Today's judgment reinforces why safety must always be our first consideration, and we will continue to do all we can to make our railways the safest they can be.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
15-02-2025
- Telegraph
‘Tragedy must never be repeated' say families of railway track workers killed by a train
The families of two men who 'lost their lives in an instant' after being hit by a train while working on the tracks in South Wales have said the tragedy must never be repeated. Network Rail was fined almost £4million at Swansea Crown Court on Friday after the deaths of the two track workers in July 2019. Gareth Delbridge, 64, and Michael 'Spike' Lewis, 58, were struck and killed by a train at Margam, near Port Talbot, after the company failed to put in place proper measures to protect workers, with no long-distance lookout in place. Network Rail was fined £3.75million and had to pay £175,000 in costs for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by Recorder Christian Jowett. The families of Mr Delbridge and Mr Lewis paid tribute to their lost loved ones, saying the 'tragedy must never be repeated' and blamed their employer for failing to protect them. In a statement issued through the law firm Hugh James, they said: 'On July 3 2019 Gareth Delbridge and Michael Lewis lost their lives in an instant, leaving an irreplaceable void in their families and among those who knew them. 'Their tragic and untimely deaths serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the risks faced by railway workers every day. 'The profound impact of their loss continues to be felt deeply by their loved ones, friends, and colleagues. 'Gareth and Mike were not just workers; they were devoted family members, cherished friends, and valued members of their community. 'Their absence is felt in every moment, and the pain of losing them remains immeasurable. 'What makes this tragedy even more devastating is that their deaths were preventable. The failure of both their employer and the regulator to implement and enforce proper safety protocols cost them their lives. 'This should never have happened and there needs to be accountability to ensure that no other family has to endure such unimaginable loss.' The family acknowledged that progress had been made in track worker safety since the incident in 2019, but urged the industry to 'continue prioritising and improving safety measures'. They said: 'No life should be put at unnecessary risk due to systemic failures or inadequate protections. Lowest level of protection 'Though no amount of change can bring Gareth and Mike back, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that their deaths lead to lasting improvements in railway safety. 'Their legacy must be one of change – change that protects workers, saves lives, and ensures that such a tragedy is never repeated.' The judge said issues surrounding safety policy had been known for some time ahead of the incident but Network Rail had failed to make improvements. In the absence of technological solutions, the only protection workers had was a lookout, which Mr Jowett described as the 'lowest level of protection'. Despite a bend in the track, no long-distance lookout had been put in place, and the workers were using noisy machinery. The judge said none of the workers were aware of the approaching train 'until it was too late'. In a statement on Friday, Nick Millington, route director at Network Rail Wales & Borders, said the deaths 'should never have happened on our railway'. He insisted the company had continued to make safety improvements since the incident, with new technology and planning tools having 'almost entirely eliminated the need to work on the railway when trains are running'.
The Independent
15-02-2025
- The Independent
Tragedy ‘must never be repeated' say families of track workers struck by train
The families of two men who 'lost their lives in an instant' after being hit by a train while working on the tracks in South Wales have said the tragedy must never be repeated. Network Rail was fined almost £4 million at Swansea Crown Court on Friday after the deaths of the two track workers in July 2019. Gareth Delbridge, 64, and Michael 'Spike' Lewis, 58, were struck and killed by a train at Margam, near Port Talbot, after the company failed to put in place proper measures to protect workers, with no long-distance lookout in place. Network Rail was fined £3.75 million plus £175,000 in costs for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by Recorder Christian Jowett. The families of Mr Delbridge and Mr Lewis paid tribute to their lost loved ones, saying the 'tragedy must never be repeated' and blamed their employer for failing to protect them. In a statement issued through the law firm Hugh James, they said: 'On July 3 2019 Gareth Delbridge and Michael Lewis lost their lives in an instant, leaving an irreplaceable void in their families and among those who knew them. 'Their tragic and untimely deaths serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the risks faced by railway workers every day. 'The profound impact of their loss continues to be felt deeply by their loved ones, friends, and colleagues. 'Gareth and Mike were not just workers; they were devoted family members, cherished friends, and valued members of their community. 'Their absence is felt in every moment, and the pain of losing them remains immeasurable. 'What makes this tragedy even more devastating is that their deaths were preventable. The failure of both their employer and the regulator to implement and enforce proper safety protocols cost them their lives. 'This should never have happened and there needs to be accountability to ensure that no other family has to endure such unimaginable loss.' The family acknowledged that progress had been made in track worker safety since the incident in 2019, but urged the industry to 'continue prioritising and improving safety measures'. 'No life should be put at unnecessary risk due to systemic failures or inadequate protections,' they said. 'Though no amount of change can bring Gareth and Mike back, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that their deaths lead to lasting improvements in railway safety. 'Their legacy must be one of change – change that protects workers, saves lives, and ensures that such a tragedy is never repeated.' The judge said issues surrounding safety policy had been known for some time ahead of the incident but Network Rail had failed to make improvements. In the absence of technological solutions, the only protection workers had was a lookout, which Mr Jowett described as the 'lowest level of protection'. Despite a bend in the track, no long-distance look-out had been put in place, and the workers were using noisy machinery. The judge said none of the workers were aware of the approaching train 'until it was too late'. In a statement on Friday, Nick Millington, route director at Network Rail Wales & Borders, said the deaths should 'should never have happened on our railway'. He insisted the company had continued to make safety improvements since the incident, with new technology and planning tools having 'almost entirely eliminated the need to work on the railway when trains are running'. 'Today's judgment reinforces why safety must always be our first consideration, and we will continue to do all we can to make our railways the safest they can be,' he said.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Tragedy ‘must never be repeated' say families of track workers struck by train
The families of two men who 'lost their lives in an instant' after being hit by a train while working on the tracks in South Wales have said the tragedy must never be repeated. Network Rail was fined almost £4 million at Swansea Crown Court on Friday after the deaths of the two track workers in July 2019. Gareth Delbridge, 64, and Michael 'Spike' Lewis, 58, were struck and killed by a train at Margam, near Port Talbot, after the company failed to put in place proper measures to protect workers, with no long-distance lookout in place. Network Rail was fined £3.75 million plus £175,000 in costs for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by Recorder Christian Jowett. The families of Mr Delbridge and Mr Lewis paid tribute to their lost loved ones, saying the 'tragedy must never be repeated' and blamed their employer for failing to protect them. In a statement issued through the law firm Hugh James, they said: 'On July 3 2019 Gareth Delbridge and Michael Lewis lost their lives in an instant, leaving an irreplaceable void in their families and among those who knew them. 'Their tragic and untimely deaths serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the risks faced by railway workers every day. 'The profound impact of their loss continues to be felt deeply by their loved ones, friends, and colleagues. 'Gareth and Mike were not just workers; they were devoted family members, cherished friends, and valued members of their community. 'Their absence is felt in every moment, and the pain of losing them remains immeasurable. 'What makes this tragedy even more devastating is that their deaths were preventable. The failure of both their employer and the regulator to implement and enforce proper safety protocols cost them their lives. 'This should never have happened and there needs to be accountability to ensure that no other family has to endure such unimaginable loss.' The family acknowledged that progress had been made in track worker safety since the incident in 2019, but urged the industry to 'continue prioritising and improving safety measures'. 'No life should be put at unnecessary risk due to systemic failures or inadequate protections,' they said. 'Though no amount of change can bring Gareth and Mike back, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that their deaths lead to lasting improvements in railway safety. 'Their legacy must be one of change – change that protects workers, saves lives, and ensures that such a tragedy is never repeated.' The judge said issues surrounding safety policy had been known for some time ahead of the incident but Network Rail had failed to make improvements. In the absence of technological solutions, the only protection workers had was a lookout, which Mr Jowett described as the 'lowest level of protection'. Despite a bend in the track, no long-distance look-out had been put in place, and the workers were using noisy machinery. The judge said none of the workers were aware of the approaching train 'until it was too late'. In a statement on Friday, Nick Millington, route director at Network Rail Wales & Borders, said the deaths should 'should never have happened on our railway'. He insisted the company had continued to make safety improvements since the incident, with new technology and planning tools having 'almost entirely eliminated the need to work on the railway when trains are running'. 'Today's judgment reinforces why safety must always be our first consideration, and we will continue to do all we can to make our railways the safest they can be,' he said.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
Network Rail fined £4m after workers killed by train
Network Rail has been fined nearly £4m after two workers were struck and killed by a train following safety failures. Gareth Delbridge, 64, and Michael "Spike" Lewis, 58, were hit by a Great Western Railway train travelling from Swansea to London Paddington in July 2019. The two men had been working for Network Rail at Margam, near Port Talbot, at the time and a third track worker also came close to being hit, with a previous report describing him as "severely traumatised". Network Rail said it continued to "transform the safety of our workforce" following "the tragic deaths". At Swansea Crown Court on Friday, Recorder Christian Jowett fined Network Rail £3.75m, saying the company had failed to put in place proper measures to protect the workers. The judge said issues surrounding safety policy had been known for some time and the firm had failed to make improvements. Network Rail previously admitted its role in the men's deaths. 'Long-term safety failure' a factor in rail deaths Rail worker deaths prompt £70m safety task force 'No formal lookout' at rail worker deaths site The court heard that, in the absence of technological solutions, the only protection workers had was a lookout, which Mr Jowett described as the "lowest level of protection". "Visibility towards Port Talbot at the site was restricted due to a curve in the track, so the need for two lookouts was identified, with four men carrying out the work," he said. "But what happened was the group split into two, one to carry out the maintenance work and the other to carry out [other] work - no one was available to be the second distant lookout. "The task was noisy because of the type of machine being used." The judge said none of the workers were aware of the approaching train "until it was too late". Issues surrounding Network Rail's track safety policy had been known since 2017, but the judge said by 2019 the steps taken had "not resolved the concerns". Mr Jowett said the policy - called Standard 19 - for how track work should be carried out was "substantially based on a number of unsuccessful initiatives since 2014", following previous deaths in 2011 and 2012. "I find that Network Rail therefore must have had a good understanding of why these initiatives failed," he said. "However, I also find that it didn't learn from these experiences because the design and rollout of Standard 19 repeated a number of mistakes and introduced further mistakes." Contrary to its own policy, Network Rail did not consider it necessary for the rollout of Standard 19 to be delivered by qualified trainers, with the amount of training reduced from eight hours to two and a half, with a video, "which may have added further confusion". The judge also said track workers had narrowly avoided being struck by trains in July 2018 and April 2019, and in December 2018 the regulator indicated that it was "minded to serve improvement notices". Nick Millington, route director at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said the "tragic" deaths of Mr Delbridge and Mr Lewis "should never have happened on our railway". "Since this tragedy, we have continued to transform the safety of our workforce through the development of new technology and planning tools, which have almost entirely eliminated the need to work on the railway when trains are running," he said. "Today's judgement reinforces why safety must always be our first consideration, and we will continue to do all we can to make our railways the safest they can be." Mark Phillips, chief executive of the independent organisation Rail Safety and Standards Board, said the incident was a "catalyst to completely rethink track worker safety". Specialists drafted to investigate two rail deaths Rail worker killed by train 'loved by everyone' 'No safe system in place' when rail workers killed
