ORR ISSUES IMPROVEMENT NOTICE TO WCRC
Published at 11:31 on Thursday 21st May 2015
Tags: ORR,WCRC,Network Rail
Richard Tuplin
The Office of Rail and Road has confirmed to Railway Herald that it has issued an improvement notice to Carnforth-based West Coast Railway Company.
The move comes amid various rumours circulating in the industry, but it confirms that WCRC has made significant improvements in its procedures, and that the ORR has decided not to revoke its safety licence at this stage.
Ian Prosser, Director of Railway Safety, Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said: “ORR’s initial investigation found shortfalls in the WCRC’s safety management system and in response the company has introduced enhanced safety procedures and appropriate staff competence regimes. ORR inspectors have been on site examining the new safety arrangements and inspecting WCRC passenger services to ensure that the necessary changes are being fully implemented by the company.” He added that: “Safety on the railways is ORR’s absolute priority, and we will not allow services to run where we see safety risks.”
A letter to the company explaining the actions and decisions off the ORR, said: “As part of our consideration whether or not to revoke WCRC’s safety certificate, we have fully considered the representations made by you during the two meetings and during our visits to your premises. We have also fully taken into consideration the representations received, and not withdrawn, from affected parties.”
The document continues: “Owing to the steps you have already taken to improve your Safety Management System and our satisfactory site visits, we are satisfied that there is no significant risk requiring the revocation of WCRC’s safety certificate.”
Full details of what is required by the improvement notice are still awaited, but the action does not prevent WCRC from operating, neither does it limit operations. It has been issued as the ORR still has concerns that the proposed changes to WCRC’s Safety Management System have not been fully embedded and because there are still some matters requiring attention.
It is understood that the company will continue to inform the ORR each time it wishes to run a train, and a decision will then be taken as to whether an inspector should attend or not. This represents no change from the current method of operation, see story on Page 15 of this issue.
ORR has stated that it will require WCRC to demonstrate periodically that it is meeting all of the conditions of the revised Safety Management System and Improvement Notice, and that if any non-compliance takes place, then WCRC could be considered to be in breach of the Improvement Notice and that the ORR could also look again to the revocation of your Safety Certificate. The Regulator has also advised the company that the continued full compliance with the Safety Management System and Improvement Notice will be considered when WCRC is required to renew its Safety Certificate.
The news will come as a huge relief to all of the charter operators that use WCRC services, ending two months of uncertainty over the future and allowing the promotion of summer programmes to commence in earnest.
