§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he published the report into the railway accident at Walton on the Naze in 1987; whether the contents of that report have been taken into account in respect of any later incidents; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanThe railway inspectorate has not yet completed its report on the Walton on the Naze accident, partly because the inspecting officer was involved as an assessor to Sir Anthony Hidden's investigation into the Clapham junction accident, but it has already ensured that the lessons learned have been put into practice. The report will be published at the earliest opportunity.
§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirements are made by his railway inspectorate concerning provision of hydraulic buffer stops or sand drags at frequently used terminal platforms.
§ Mr. FreemanHer Majesty's railway inspectorate, which is now part of the Health and Safety Executive, has no requirement for railway operators to provide particular types of buffer stops at terminal stations. Buffer stops are generally designed to minimise injury to train passengers and damage to railway vehicles where impact is slight. If400W impact is made with greater force, the buffer stop should prevent a train overrunning onto the station concourse. I am advised that it would not be practicable to specify the impact loading that individual sets of buffer stops should withstand since most stations are used by a variety of rolling stock with different characteristics.