HC Deb 03 February 1954 vol 523 cc343-5
11. Mr. Hector Hughe

sasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many railway accidents occurred in Great Britain during each year since the Second World War, involving human injury and death; what was the cause of each; to what extent speed, inadequate signalling devices, defective rolling stock and defective permanent way were related causes; and what steps are now being taken to prevent future accidents and give greater safety to the travelling public.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

As the first part of the answer contains a large number of complicated figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the Official Report. As to the last part, I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply which I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Mr. Erroll) last week.

Mr. Hughes

Does the Minister realise that the number of recent accidents has caused great uneasiness in the public mind, particularly accidents caused by defective bridges, and will he see what supervision is kept over bridges above and under railways?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I am aware of the anxiety, but I am anxious to put it into its proper perspective. If the hon. and learned Gentleman reads my answer, it should help him a little.

Mr. G. Wilson

Canmy right hon. Friend say what progress is being made with the experimental development of automatic train control, a demonstration of which was given to certain hon. Members last year?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Progress is being made, but the Transport Commission not unnaturally is very anxious to perfect it before making it universal.

Mr. Popplewell

Would the Minister be prepared to compliment the signalmen and guardsmen on their skill in preventing accidents? At the present moment these very lowly paid men are being called upon to undergo an examination every two years, which is more than any other section of industry is required to undergo. Would the Minister pay a compliment to these men for the work they do in the prevention of accidents?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I gladly do so.

Following is the answer:

Accidents on the railways are reported to me under the following heads:—

A summarised analysis of Class I train accidents is given in the two tables below. The 1952 figures include 112 killed and 340 injured in the collision at Harrow.

Year Number of Accidents Killed Injured
1946 … … … … 1,237 60 676
1947 … … … … 1,388 121 1,328
1948 … … … … 1,293 74 749
1949 … … … … 1,176 12 696
1950 … … … … 1,156 40 571
1951 … … … … 1,280 55 951
1952 … … … … 1,243 133 1,302
Total … … 8,773 495 6,273
Causes 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 Total
Failure of train crews … 273 289 310 236 212 240 247 1,807
Failure of signalmen … 73 73 52 53 44 52 49 396
Failure of other operating staff … 126 177 173 161 143 153 165 1,098
Failure of train crews and/or signal men and/or other staff … 54 57 61 129 117 105 94 617
Faulty loading … 19 21 43 15 2 9 10 119
Technical defects:—
Engines … 26 40 15 18 20 38 24 181
Vehicles … 89 99 113 63 78 86 85 613
Track or signalling apparatus … 65 59 60 38 55 69 57 403
Snow, landslides and flooding … 12 104 11 2 5 18 7 159
Miscellaneous … 500 469 455 461 480 510 505 3,380
Total … 1,237 1,388 1,293 1,176 1,156 1,280 1,243 8,773
NOTE: There is no classification for speed as a cause, but of the 1,807 accidents attributable to failure of train crews, 526 were caused by passing signals at danger.
Full particulars of accidents reported to me under Class II and Class III are contained in the Annual Reports of the Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways, copies of which are in the Library of the House.
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