Safety updates

Download the very latest safety bulletins from Network Rail. Supplied as part of our enduring commitment to the safety of our workforce, these updates cover a wide variety of safety issues, and are often issued in response to a specific incident.

Drugs and alcohol – Post incident testing

  • Date of issue

    02/11/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • A number of recent investigations have raised concerns that post incident drug and alcohol testing is not always taking place when it is required.

Serious injury to an operative

  • Date of issue

    28/10/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • On the afternoon of 24 October 2020 at Grove Ferry, Kent an operative was taking measurements of the track, for aligning sleepers, from the running rail on the adjacent line. There was an engineering train on that line. The engineering train was authorised to move and ran over the operative's hand, resulting in the amputation of two fingers.

Rail Wellbeing Live

  • Date of issue

    19/10/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • COVID-19 is increasing pressure on mental and physical health within the rail industry. Rail Wellbeing Live is a new free industry-wide event designed to help people manage this pressure.

Serious incident at Trewern Mill user worked crossing

  • Date of issue

    17/10/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • At 13:53 on 20th July a signaller at Whitland signal box received a request to cross the line from users at Trewern Mill user worked crossing. The signaller checked the box diagram as a train was in the area. The signaller saw that the track circuit where the level crossing was shown was clear and the next track circuit showing occupied.

Failure of a tree with symptoms of ash die back disease

  • Date of issue

    29/09/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • On the 7th September during a routine inspection a mature ash tree showing signs of die back was found in a condition that posed an immediate risk of falling onto the railway line. The team was able to undertake immediate action to safeguard the railway and the tree was made safe.

Morlais Junction derailment and fire

  • Date of issue

    17/09/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • A significant derailment occurred on Wednesday 26th August at Morlais Junction, Llangennech with a large fire and a CAT 1 Environmental incident ensuing. The Freight train derailed carrying substantial quantities of dangerous goods (diesel and gas-oil) in a location that is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Restricted access to 25KV ABB FSKII SMOS sites with SADTEM VTs

  • Date of issue

    15/09/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • There have been a number of failures of SADTEM Voltage Transformer (VT) over the past 6 months. In both incidents debris from the exploded VTs were found inside the compound and some minor debris found outside adjacent to the compound.

Social Media

  • Date of issue

    27/08/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • You may be aware of a video circulating on social media of a group of track workers sitting in the cess very close to the running line as a train passes by at speed. Network Rail is investigating the origins of the video and early indications suggest that this is historic.

Withdrawal of the HVD03/2D live line indicator from use by Network Rail staff

  • Date of issue

    14/08/2020
  • Organisation

    Network Rail
  • The HVD03/2D (PADs Number 094/007055) live line indicator shall be withdrawn from use by all Network Rail staff from the 14th August.

Organisations we’ve supported

For more than twenty years, our board and senior managers have worked with and supported some of the leading names in rail. Here are just a handful of the organisations they’ve helped during their careers.