§ 43. Mr. H. Morrisonasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will state, for the most recent con- 403 venient period of five years, the respective numbers of accidents and material stoppages in the various regions of British Railways; and what position the Southern Region occupies in the list.
§ Mr. WatkinsonTrain accidents and certain types of failure are reported to me. Particulars are given in the Annual Reports of the Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways, and I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT summaries by regions of the five year period 1953–57. I have no figures of other stoppages.
| TRAIN ACCIDENTS ON BRITISH RAILWAYS 1953–57 | ||||||
| Railway Regions | ||||||
| — | London Midland | Western | Southern | Eastern | North Eastern | Scotland |
| 1953 | ||||||
| Number of train accidents | 198 | 216 | 220 | 179 | 175 | 126 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 101 | 72 | 68 | 56 | 40 | 42 |
| Number of accidents per million train miles | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 3.0 |
| 1954 | ||||||
| Number of train accidents | 202 | 291 | 243 | 182 | 163 | 104 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 101 | 72 | 68 | 56 | 40 | 41 |
| Number of accidents per million train miles | 2.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 2.5 |
| 1955 | ||||||
| Number of train accidents | 195 | 239 | 252 | 198 | 183 | 78 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 98 | 69 | 65 | 54 | 38 | 39 |
| Number of accidents per million train miles | 2.0 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 2.0 |
| 1956 | ||||||
| Number of train accidents | 180 | 228 | 293 | 229 | 215 | 73 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 101 | 72 | 68 | 56 | 39 | 40 |
| Number of accidents per million train miles | 1.8 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 5.5 | 1.8 |
| 1957 | ||||||
| Number of train accidents | 171 | 243 | 296 | 206 | 165 | 113 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 100 | 74 | 68 | 59 | 40 | 41 |
| Number of accidents per million train miles | 1.7 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 2.8 |
| NOTES | ||||||
| 1. Train miles are estimated on a regional geographical area basis. | ||||||
| 2. Train accidents include a large number of minor collisions caused by open doors. These are particularly prevalent in the Southern Region on account of the intense suburban electric passenger train services. If these accidents are excluded, the figures for 1957 would be as follows:— | ||||||
| 1957 (excluding open-door accidents) | ||||||
| Number of train accidents | 157 | 218 | 107 | 177 | 151 | 96 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 100 | 74 | 68 | 59 | 40 | 41 |
| Number of accidents per million train miles | 1.6 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.3 |
§ Mr. MorrisonCan the Minister answer the last part of my Question as to the relative position the Southern Region occupies, because from reading one's newspaper it looks, on the face of it, as if we are getting more than our share?
§ Mr. WatkinsonWhen the right hon. Gentleman studies the very detailed information I am circulating, he will find that, discounting minor accidents such as carriage doors being left open, the Southern Region stands quite high in the list compared with other regions.
§ Following is the statement:
405| FAILURES OF ROLLING STOCK AND PERMANENT WAY ON BRITISH RAILWAYS, 1953–1957 | ||||||
| Railway Regions | ||||||
| — | London Midland | Western | Southern | Eastern | North Eastern | Scotland |
| 1953 | ||||||
| Number of failures | 814 | 375 | 277 | 496 | 437 | 241 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 101 | 72 | 68 | 56 | 40 | 42 |
| Number of failures per million train miles | 8.1 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 8.9 | 10.9 | 5.8 |
| 1954 | ||||||
| Number of failures | 736 | 383 | 253 | 425 | 387 | 296 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 101 | 72 | 68 | 56 | 40 | 41 |
| Number of failures per million train miles | 7.4 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 7.6 | 9.7 | 7.2 |
| 1955 | ||||||
| Number of failures | 610 | 309 | 214 | 379 | 352 | 185 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 98 | 69 | 65 | 54 | 38 | 39 |
| Number of failures per million train miles | 6.2 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 4.7 |
| 1956 | ||||||
| Number of failures | 584 | 294 | 198 | 394 | 300 | 214 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 101 | 72 | 68 | 56 | 39 | 40 |
| Number of failures per million train miles | 5.8 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 5.4 |
| 1957 | ||||||
| Number of failures | 500 | 255 | 213 | 227 | 299 | 163 |
| Number of train miles (millions) | 100 | 74 | 68 | 59 | 40 | 41 |
| Number of failures per million train miles | 5.0 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 7.5 | 4.0 |