New Court Date for Case Against Network Rail and Jarvis Rail

Network Rail and Jarvis Rail, the maintenance company, are due to appear in court on a new date over the Potters Bar train crash that happened in 2002. The firms are facing health and safety charges in the case, which was brought by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). The case was suppose to go in front of magistrates on January 7, but the regulator says the proceedings will start on February 21 in Hertfordshire instead.

In the May 10, 2002 incident, 7 people died when a West Anglia Great Northern express train from London to King’s Lynn derailed – one of the deaths was a pedestrian. Jarvis Rail, which was contracted to maintain the section of track where the derailment occurred, went into administration this past March. The ORR said on Wednesday that the company’s administrators provided the essential consent to allow them to proceed with the criminal case against the company.

Overall responsibility for the track has rested with Railtrack, whose functions weren’t taken over by Network Rail until October 2002. After an inquest into the disaster, which occurred earlier this year, the ORR said that they were going to prosecute the rail operator and maintenance company under a section of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act. A report from the Health and Safety Executive said that poor maintenance was the cause of the accident.

Many people welcome the proceedings. Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA) union leader Gerry Doherty said in November, when the announcement was made, that they will finally find who is responsible for the tragedy.