Rail Safety Recommendations: Backlog

Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway Excerpts

Tuesday 28th April 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for those comments. Throughout tragic incidents, we need to remember the roles of the people who work on the railways, supported by their trade unions. Their actions are nothing short of heroic in many cases. We need to pay tribute to them and to make sure that safety remains at the heart of everything that we do to progress the railways in this country.

[Baroness O’Grady of Upper Holloway (Lab)]

My Lords, does my noble friend the Minister agree that both the department and the regulator need to focus sharply on the root causes of accidents? They include the fragmentation of safety-critical work on the track.

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

Interestingly, we can see the main causes of accidents highlighted in this. We know, for example, that level crossings are a critical point and that the weather is becoming an increasing risk. The work that has been done following different accidents when track workers have been injured and, unfortunately, sometimes killed has led to a focus on trackside safety. I am delighted that the statistics are going in the right direction in that area.