The 15th of February marks the 19th anniversary of the fatal Tebay tragedy which saw 4 rail workers lose their lives.

The incident took place on a night shift when an out-of-control 16-tonne steel wagon rolled down the West Coast Main Line achieving speeds of 40mph ahead of striking several track workers. The tragedy saw four rail workers die and a further 5 injured.

Mark Connolly who was the head of rail maintenance company MAC Machinery Services and  Roy Kennett, a crane operator were tried at Newcastle Crown Court with charges of manslaughter caused by gross negligence following the incident. Mr Connolly also saw prosecution for breaches in health and safety law. Both men were found guilty with a majority verdict. Mr Connolly received a sentence of nine years imprisonment and Mr Kennett received a two-year sentence.

RMT has blamed the incident on the fragmentation and privatisation for the tragedy and maintains its commitment to fight for the protection and improvement of safety standards throughout the network.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said:  “We remember these tragedies not only as a mark of respect for our comrades but in order to campaign for proper safety standards, to ensure this never happens again.

“Privatisation and fragmentation is inherently less safe than a joined-up publicly owned railway.

“However, despite these tragedies and others, we are having to resist further attacks on safety with 50% planned reductions in scheduled maintenance tasks, hundreds of job losses and more unsocial shifts.

“The cost-cutting agenda posed by Network Rail‘s plans under so-called modernising maintenance represents a threat to safety standards, our member’s well-being and to the travelling public.

“Make no mistake, RMT will resist threats to safety standards on our railways.”