Drivers blast rail chiefs over safety

Rail chiefs were today accused of "prehistoric" attitudes in turning down a British-made system to warn against track obstructions.

Leaders of train drivers' union Aslef claim Network Rail rejected the Trackmaster system - made in South Wales and used in the US and Hong Kong - on cost grounds.

NR denied any scheme has been rejected because of cost, and said it was waiting for experts to evaluate 145 ideas for alerting drivers to blocked tracks.

Aslef 's conference in Scarborough today launched a campaign to get the multi-millionpound system on all highspeed trains. National organiser Andy Reed said NR was "seriously wrong in taking such a prehistoric attitude."