As we have indicated previously, the Government have no powers to intervene or to enforce these matters. The terms under which compensation is payable to passenger train operators and freight train operators are set out in their respective Track Access Agreements with Railtrack. Additionally the shadow Strategic Rail Authority contributed to the unprecedented package of compensation payments to passengers agreed by the industry last month. Column WA70 immediately to determine the cause of an accident. It is important that the emergency services preserve the integrity of the scene as much as possible until criminal activity can be ruled out by expert technical examination.
Passenger safety is the priority in dealing with such incidents.
It was not possible to move the carriages still on the track and the train had to be evacuated at the site. An evacuation route from the train was identified and prepared, which involved removing fencing, providing lighting and laying down tarpaulin over the undergrowth. It was also necessary to evacuate the train by a single door. However, this allowed for a controlled evacuation of passengers, with their luggage, to take place. The passengers were then transferred by coach to a reception centre where they were informally interviewed by police and staff of the train company.