Each of the ten recorded incidents has involved a vehicle operated by the private sector, eight of them involving road-rail vehicles, trolleys or on-track machines operated by sub-contractors.

As delegates travel to Blackpool for RMT’s health and safety conference, which co-incides with the anniversary, RMT has renewed its call for an end to sub-contracting of renewals work.

“There could have been ten more Tebays in the three years since our four members were killed on February 15, 2004,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

“Track renewals are still dependent on a dangerous myriad of contractors, sub-contractors and one-man-and-a-trolley outfits, and despite our incessant demands for action the situation remains just as it was in February 2004.

“It is a disgrace that it is only luck that has prevented further unnecessary carnage, and for all we know the ten reported runaways are probably just the tip of the iceberg.

“One of the most recent, involving an RRV at Copenhagen Tunnel near King’s Cross last October, was a carbon copy of an incident in Stockport more than two years before.

“We were promised after the first of these incidents that action would be taken on the design and operation of the type of vehicle invloved, but it was only after it was repeated two years on that the Railways Inspectorate finally issued an improvement notice on Network Rail.

“Even then NR has been given almost another year to find a solution to the braking problem involved, and the inspectorate told RMT that it was ‘hoping’ that the improvement notice would spur NR to identify other types of vehicle with similar problems.

“From the body that is supposed to ensure our members’ safety, ‘hoping’ is simply not good enough.

“The chilling fact is none of these vehicles is owned directly by Network Rail or operated by Network Rail personnel, and that is the crux of the problem.

“It is only when Network Rail takes proper control of the assets and skills needed for renewals that we can begin to ensure that these vehicles are in working order and operated safely.

“Network Rail has already made its maintenance safer and more efficient by bringing it back in-house, and they now need to complete the job and bring renewals back in-house too,” Bob Crow said.

ends

Notes to editors: The fatal runaway incident at Tebay, Cumbria, took place on February 15 2004, killing four and injuring three. The ten incidents listed below are those recorded since.

1: May 2004 RRV Sheildmuir

2: August 2004 RRV Stockport

3: August 2004 RRV Stockport

4: November 2004 RRV Aylesford

5: August 2005 Loco Blake Street (Lichfield)

6: November 2005 Trolley Larkhall

7: August 2006 Loco East Didsbury

8: July 2006 Ballast cleaner Cheddington

9: November 2006 Cherry Picker Copenhagen Tunnel (Kings Cross)

10: December 2006 Multi-purpose veh Kingswood