§ 56. Mr. Boxasked the Minister of Transport, whether she is satisfied with the maintenance and safety standards on 397 the Western Region of British Railways; and if she will make a statement.
§ 93 and 94. Mr. Peter Millsasked the Minister of Transport (1) what was the total number of derailments on the Western Region in 1965;
§ (2) if she is satisfied that all possible action is being taken on the Western Region of British Railways to maintain the high standard of safety that is required; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CastleThe maintenance and safety standards of operation on the Western Region of British Railways are the responsibility of the British Railways Board, and I am satisfied that appropriate action is being taken to maintain them. The latest Annual Report on Railway Accidents by the Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways shows that the rate of significant collisions and derailments per million train miles on the Western Region during 1964 was only slightly above the average for British Railways as a whole, and also that there were fewer derailments on that Region than on some other Regions. The number of reported derailments on the Western Region in 1965 was 49, but this figure is provisional.
§ Mr. BoxIs the right hon. Lady aware of the very great concern among the travelling public and railwaymen—not eased by events today—at the recent spate of incidents on the Western Region? Will she please consider issuing monthly reports, similar in detail to the one she sent to me by post recently, and instructions that daily line inspections should be reintroduced at least until the present spate of accidents is over?
§ Mrs. CastleBoth the Ministry and the Railways Board are deeply concerned about any aspects which might seem to affect safety, but it would be wrong to get this out of perspective. The number of derailments in the Western Region this past year has been only slightly above the figures for previous years and is the same figure as in 1960. I should be glad to give any information of any kind that I might be asked for.
§ Mr. Francis Noel-BakerIs my right hon. Friend aware that there is a great deal of anxiety among railwaymen, particularly the guards on freight trains 398 pulled by diesel locomotives? Will she, among other measures, permit hon. Members—or ask the Western Region to permit them—to make on-site inspections of the equipment used and of the places where derailments have taken place?
§ Mrs. CastleThat would a matter for the Board. My hon. Friend knows, I think, that the Railways Board has begun by increasing the training period of drivers of diesel and electric locomotives, reducing the maximum permitted speeds, and so on, to meet the sort of problems revealed by these derailments.