I'm going to carry on fighting to make sure Lord Cullen's recommendations are carried out and that nobody ends up like us

Pam Warren, Paddington Survivors' Group

Mrs Warren, of Whitchurch-on-Thames, South Oxfordshire, will also be honoured at a People of the Year ceremony next month.

The founder of the Paddington Survivors' Group refuses to bask in the glory, preferring to keep up pressure on rail officials to improve Britain's railway network.

Her action group plans to meet transport secretary Stephen Byers, to hear his plans to turn Railtrack into a non-profit making trust, after the company went into administration this week.

"I'm going to carry on fighting to make sure Lord Cullen's recommendations are carried out and that nobody ends up like us," she said.

"We're not going to let the public forget his proposals and what has or has not been achieved."

Mrs Warren said she believed putting Railtrack into administration was a "brave move" by Mr Byers.

"I think the collapse of Railtrack will probably be a good thing.

"Responsibility for safety should not be with a rail industry which is making the profit.

"The only thing we are worried about at the moment is that a new organisation has not been found very swifty.

"I don't think self-regulation works, so I am not sure about handing over the running to train operating companies."

Nightmare flashbacks

Mrs Warren admitted her public role over the last two years has taken its toll on her and that a day in the spotlight is followed by two days' recovery in bed.

She is still undergoing surgery and suffers nightmare flashbacks to the crash, in which 31 people died and 600 passengers were injured.

The crash is still fresh in Mrs Warren's mind

She said: "Medically, I'm still having operations. They are minor ones on my hands and fingers but, boy, are they painful.

"I'm still on a lot of drugs to help with the depression and not being able to sleep.

"My body still hasn't recovered two years on and there are days when you wake up and think 'Oh, not another day' and other days when you jump out out of bed and want to be doing things."

She explained the worst experience since the crash, however, is dealing with the emotional trauma.

"The mask protected me and was something to hide behind but without the mask it's me," she said.

Mrs Warren, who was forced to give up her business after the crash, says she does not see herself as brave or inspirational, she simply hates injustice.

"What happened to us at Ladbroke Grove was unjust and that's why I have taken it as far as I have," she said.

"People in government and at the top of the rail industry aren't gods, or people in high places, where you can't reach them.

"You just have to be brave enough and strong enough to insist on reaching them.

"Even if we achieve nothing, I can put my hand on my heart and say 'we tried the hardest we could'."