Network Rail fined £3.75m after track worker fatalities

Network Rail has been fined £3.75 million for safety breaches that led to the deaths of two workers, Gareth Delbridge and Michael 'Spike' Lewis, who were struck by a train while performing unnecessary maintenance on July 3, 2019, near Port Talbot. The court found that no proper safety measures, such as lookouts or a line block, were in place, despite the known risks associated with track work. Investigations revealed systematic safety failures within Network Rail, echoing issues identified in previous inspections. The Office of Rail and Road noted that the incident reflected inadequacies in Network Rail's management systems and safety policies. Following the tragedy, significant changes have been implemented in how track worker safety is managed, with an emphasis on ending live track work during maintenance. Nevertheless, recent fatalities and near misses indicate that ongoing vigilance is required to ensure worker safety on railways.