BBC develops factual drama about the state of Britain's railways
BBC Drama and News & Current Affairs are working together for the first time to develop a factual drama about the crisis in Britain's railways.
Provisionally entitled Derailed, the proposed 90-minute film will tell the story of the enquiry into the Paddington train crash in October 1999 - which claimed 31 lives - and the derailment at Hatfield in October 2000 which left four people dead.
It will explore why these tragic accidents happened, and examine how far the privatised rail industry allowed commercial interest to supercede considerations of passenger safety.
Derailed is to be written by Stephen Greenhorn (Glasgow Kiss) for BBC ONE and is to be produced by Lucy Hillman (a producer on Panorama and series producer of BBC TWO's Food Junkies) and Liza Marshall (Fields of Gold, The Sins). The executive producers are Paul Woolwich and Laura Mackie.
Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, says: "We are developing this project in the light of a real appetite to tackle dramas relating to current affairs, real events and real people. The state of Britain's railways - and the issues of passenger safety which it raises - is a subject that touches us all."
Peter Horrocks, Head of BBC Current Affairs, says: "It is exciting to be combining the best of the BBC's investigative journalism with its strongest drama talent. We hope to bring audiences vivid and thoroughly researched accounts of key topical events through this new partnership."
