Transport for London (TfL) has been fined £10m and Tram Operations Limited (TOL) has been ordered to pay £4m over health and safety failings that led to the Croydon tram disaster in south London.
During the trial it was told neither operator had conducted a risk assessment for the possibility of a derailment before the crash, which occurred when a speeding tram overturned at a sharp turn approaching a junction in 2016. TfL owns and maintains the infrastructure used by the Croydon tram network and TOL operates the network. Both operators were ordered to pay prosecution costs of more than £230,000 each.
Tram 2551, which was carrying 69 people, was travelling at three times the 20kph speed limit when it derailed on a sharp corner at Sandilands, killing seven people and injuring another 61 passengers were injured; 21 seriously. Last month the driver was cleared of health and safety offences. Since the accident, new safety measures and systems have been implemented following recommendations from the Rail Accident Investigations Branch and oversight by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). These include new systems to prevent trams speeding around tight curves, improvements in managing driver attentiveness and more signage and chevrons at the Sandilands curve and at other high-risk areas along the track.
The tramway sector has also instituted a new safety and standards body, the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB), the purpose of which includes improving the sector’s understanding of risk and setting recognised industry standards.
Source – IOSH
