An independent rail accident investigation unit is to be set up by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling.

Mr Darling made the announcement in Parliament on Tuesday, saying it was essential the government "learn the lessons" of train disasters.

Currently, all train crashes are subject to investigations conducted by the Railway Inspectorate section of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

He told the Commons a detailed proposal for the new body will be published later this month, but Conservatives questioned how long it would take to implement.

It is very important to get an independent investigatory service in there as quickly as we can

Alistair Darling Transport Secretary

The transport secretary said he was "very anxious" to set up the independent body so that "for the first time we... can find out what happened and that we can learn lessons from it as quickly as possible".

Former Tory transport secretary Bernard Jenkin broadly welcomed the announcement.

But he added: "How many times are you going to have to make the announcement that we are going to have an independent rail accident investigation (branch) before it actually goes ahead?

'Delay'

"I point out that the government announced two Queen's Speeches ago that there would be a rail safety bill and we are still waiting for it."

Mr Darling, who took over after Stephen Byers resigned in May, said: "I think of all us believe it is very important to get an independent investigatory service in there as quickly as we can."

Speaking at a conference of railway managers earlier in the day, the transport secretary put the onus on the industry to improve.

Darling: 'lessons must be learnt'

BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds says the message to the industry was blunt.

"Mr Darling said making the trains run on time was not rocket science and rail companies should just get on with it," he said.

The transport secretary also made it clear the government was no longer rethinking its transport policies and was intent on delivering, our correspondent says.

Although he conceded the break-up of the rail industry had been damaging, he said he was not about to renationalise it.

The last major rail disaster was at Potters Bar station in Hertfordshire on 10 May, in which seven people died and 76 were injured.