Crash firms set for new contract

Companies implicated in two of Britain's worst train disasters could share in a £6 million safety contract, it emerged today.

Balfour Beatty and Jarvis are in line for the three-year deal to check for cracked and broken rails.

Jarvis was responsible for the set of points at Potters Bar which broke last May as a train passed over them, killing seven people and injuring many more. Balfour Beatty was heavily criticised for the poor state of the track at Hatfield which led to the derailment nearly two years ago in which four people died and 34 were injured.

The move, revealed by the Evening Standard, was condemned by Louise Christian, the solicitor acting for families of five Potters Bar victims.

She said: "A lot of my clients are going to be absolutely devastated by this because Jarvis are clinging to their belief that the Potters Bar crash was not caused by bad maintenance.

My clients feel that if there had been a full investigation into the Hatfield crash then the Potters Bar disaster would never have happened.

"But the Government is now so deeply involved with these two companies that it is utterly dependent on them to deliver key elements of the public-private partnerships. As a result, it is not willing to hold them to account."

Mick Rix, leader of train drivers' union Aslef, also condemned the move. "It is inconceivable to consider giving the likes of Jarvis and Balfour Beatty multi-million pound contracts for such a key area of safety on our railways," he said.

"Both these contractors should be prosecuted over Potters Bar and Hatfield for failing to maintain the railways in a safe condition, not handed millions of pounds that will line the pockets of directors and shareholders."

Mr Rix added: "The only way to increase safety is for Railtrack to take it back in-house and out of the hands of those who put profit before people."

Under the deal - for which contractors Amec and First Engineering are also competing - hitech equipment which can scan through a rail or welded joint would be used to find faults across the network.

Industry analysts predict that Jarvis and Balfour Beatty will win. Despite their involvement in Potters Bar and Hatfield, they remain leading contractors and carry out extensive work for Railtrack across the UK network.

The cracked and broken rails they could soon be investigating remain a major cause of delays and cancellations. There were more than 500 last year, although this figure has been reduced by almost half compared with five years ago.

The successful bidders are expected to be announced this week with work beginning next month. In the wake of the Hatfield disaster the track was found to be in such an "appalling" condition that a nationwide investigation was launched for cracked and broken rails. This resulted in nearly 1,000 speed limits being introduced, some as low as 20mph, as cracks were discovered.

Some sections of line were closed completely while the rails were replaced and the entire UK network suffered near collapse.

Investigations continue into both the Hatfield and Potters Bar disasters. Police have still to interview some of those concerned with and in charge of the tracks at Hatfield in October 2000.

Only after that is completed will the Crown Prosecution Service decide whether to bring individual or corporate prosecutions - or a combination of both.