Safety review ordered after tram derailment

The Railway Inspectorate has ordered tram bosses who will bring Metrolink to Rochdale to review safety procedures after city centre tracks were allowed to deteriorate so much that a tram crashed.

Stagecoach Metrolink Ltd (SML) had been operating the network for Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive for almost a year when three passengers were hurt on board the Piccadilly-bound tram which left the rails on Mosley Street and hit poles carrying power lines on June 29 last year.

The incident was the fifth derailment in the city caused by worn tracks and a report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said that even before Stagecoach took over from Serco, all parties “knew that much of the city centre track was beyond acceptable maintenance limits”.

The report said: “Both GMPTE Metrolink and SML were aware that the city centre track was beyond economic repair and had agreed to work together to renew the track.

“However, issues associated with the contractual structure between the two organisations inhibited them working together to identify risks and ensure that they were resolved.”

It added: “Prior to the accident, GMPTE Metrolink acted as though it did not have responsibility to confirm that, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient was being done to prevent people being put at risk by their Metrolink system.”

The tram, carrying fans home from a Radiohead concert at Old Trafford cricket ground, was travelling at 4mph over the speed limit. But this was thought unlikely to have been a factor.

The report continued: “GMPTE Metrolink and SML were both aware that the city centre track was beyond any acceptable maintenance limits. However, neither party felt they were able to suspend traffic.”

It recommended: “GMPTE should review its Metrolink organisational structure, policy and procedures to confirm that they are sufficient for it to exercise its responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act.”

Philip Purdy, GMPTE’s Metrolink director, said: “We take our responsibilities for passenger safety very seriously and have already implemented measures to strengthen this and to address the recommendations in the report.

“We are also in the middle of a multi-million pound project to replace all the city centre tracks.

“Stagecoach Metrolink was carrying out an enhanced maintenance regime in the city centre before and after the derailment and remedial engineering works were being carried out as required to ensure that services ran safely.

“They inspected the tracks immediately after the derailment and carried out work to ensure that services were safe to continue running. Services remained safe until the city centre track was closed for renewal in April this year.”