Mark 1 rolling stock : HSE grants exemptions

HSE Press Release E203:02 - 24 October 2002

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today granted exemptions to three train operating companies (TOCs) using routes in London and the South East of England, and Railtrack, from a provision of the Railway Safety Regulations 1999.

This decision has been taken in the light of progress with fitting the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS). It means that these operators can use Mark 1 rolling stock, without specified modification until 31 December 2004, when the Regulations require its complete withdrawal.

Instead of modifying carriages to reduce the potential of overriding in the event of a collision, the TOCs are committed to completing fitment of TPWS to all their Mark 1 trains by 31 March 2003, nine months ahead of the timetable set by the Regulations. TPWS seeks to prevent a collision by providing automatic braking if trains pass red signals without authority, or travel at excessive speed on the approach to signals, buffer stops and speed restrictions. It requires equipment on the track and on trains to operate in conjunction.

The exemptions are subject to conditions, namely that any Mark 1 rolling stock operated by the TOCs after 31 March 2003 must form part of a train fully fitted with a train protection system. The TOCs must also send HSE details of all unfitted units and the expected date on which train protection will be fitted, or alternatively, the date on which those units will be withdrawn permanently from service.

Rob Andrews, Technical Director of HSE's Railway Inspectorate said:

"HSE has granted the exemption following wide consultation with rail companies, passenger groups and trade unions. Following this, and consideration of the technical arguments, HSE has accepted the case made by the TOCs that, overall, safety is improved by the approach proposed."

"When the Regulations were made in 1999, HSE had hoped that override protection would prove practical and beneficial. This has not been the case. Override protection was, however, only one part of wider-ranging law designed to phase out Mark 1 usage by the end of 2004. Overall, the Regulations have been effective in motivating the replacement of this rolling stock, and the accelerated fitment of TPWS to track and trains in London and the South East, which is now about 60 per cent complete."

In granting the exemptions, HSE has not altered the statutory phase-out date for Mark 1 trains, which remains the end of 2004. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is currently developing a programme, in partnership with the train companies and Railtrack, which aims to deliver both the necessary power supply upgrades and replacement trains.

Notes to editors

1. Regulation 4(1) of the Railway Safety Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No. 2244) prohibits the operation of Mark 1 rolling stock from 1 January 2003 unless rebodied or modified to prevent, or reduce the potential for, overriding in the event of a collision. This prohibition applies to both train operators and infrastructure controllers. The Regulations also prohibit the use of passenger rolling stock with slam-doors after 31 December 2004 and this is not affected by these exemptions. Regulation 6(1) gives HSE a power to grant exemptions from any of the prohibitions in the Regulations.

2. Mark 1 rolling stock design provides less protection than more modern rolling stock in the event of a collision because it has the potential during a crash to cause one carriage to 'ride over' the one in front. This endangers passengers travelling in the carriage, as the shell of Mark 1 is very light in construction.

3. Remaining Mark 1 rolling stock is used mainly on lines in the London/South East area. Around 1,700 vehicles remain in use, compared with around 2,300 at the time of consultation on the Regulations in 1998. The exemption has been granted to three TOCs: South West Trains; Connex South Eastern and GoVia (formerly Connex South Central). An additional exemption has been granted to Railtrack, as the relevant infrastructure controller.

4. HSE co-operated with the industry to assess the practicability of delivering override protection. At the time the Regulations were made, a possible modification that could provide such protection, known as 'cup and cone', was advanced by HSE. It was envisaged that industry might develop this option to see if it could be a practicable proposition. This has not been the case.

5. TPWS provides a higher degree of train protection than the existing Automatic Warning System (AWS) but, unlike AWS, drivers cannot override the system. Beacons on the track can initiate emergency braking to halt a train if it is either about to pass a red signal or has exceeded a maximum permitted speed by more than a set margin ('speed trap'). Speed traps can be fitted at the approach to signals to slow down trains travelling at above the permitted speed sufficiently to avoid most of the more serious signals passed at danger (SPADs), where the train overshoots the signal by such a distance as to cause an actual danger, such as a collision or a derailment. They can also be fitted at any other location where a speed restriction is required, e.g. at the approach to buffer stops or sharp curves. TPWS has been designed to be simple to fit to existing track and trains and its fitment should reduce the risk of collision or derailment significantly.

6. The full process for seeking exemption from the Regulations is published on HSE's website at www.hse.gov.uk/railway/rollst.htm. The application for this exemption can be also accessed at www.hse.gov.uk/railway/mk1ome.pdf 'Train protection systems and Mark 1 rolling stock; Railway Safety Regulations 1999 Guidance on Regulations' ISBN 0 7176 2442 0, £9.95 is available from HSE Books

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office