Future rail landslides 'may not be detected'
SuppliedEquipment to keep the rail network safe from landslides may not be able to properly detect the risk of future slope failures, an investigation has found.
A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) inquiry into the derailment of an Avanti West Coast train at Shap, in Cumbria, on 3 November found lineside monitoring equipment used by Network Rail may miss other potential incidents.
There have been a number of landslides in Cumbria near the rail network with one on Thursday which caused disruption.
Network Rail said it will continue to work closely with the RAIB as part of its investigation and it is new technology to monitor conditions.
RAIB has told the organisation, infrastructure managers and companies supplying or monitoring relevant equipment to take urgent steps to consider and mitigate risks.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "We have one of the safest railways in the world and the safety of passengers and our colleagues remains our first priority.
"With extreme weather conditions becoming more frequent for all infrastructure managers, Network Rail is increasingly using new technology to monitor and report on the conditions of our embankments and cuttings, assessing areas for further development."
Network RailThe RAIB report said: "Lineside monitoring equipment used on Network Rail-managed infrastructure may not be able to detect the failure of slopes in some circumstances.
"As a result, this equipment may not provide data as expected to support safety decision-making, particularly during extreme weather conditions."
Network Rail said they fully support the RAIB's report and will work with their "supply chain to put the RAIB's safety advice into practice, strengthening the performance of sensor equipment where necessary."
"Over the next four years across the North West, Network Rail has already committed to investing £30m on earthworks and £68m on drainage to ensure our railway stays safely on the move during adverse weather," a Network Rail spokesperson added.
The Glasgow to London train derailment in November left four out of 87 people on board with minor injuries, North West Ambulance Service said.
Network Rail, which looks after the track, said the precise cause of the 11-carriage train's derailment was still being investigated but operations director Sam MacDougall said early indications suggested the train had hit a landslip.
Immediately after the derailment, passengers were taken to the nearby Shap Wells Hotel before being transferred to two coaches - one heading to London and the other to Scotland.
