Torches too weak to spot track flaws

Torches used by Tube track inspectors were not powerful enough to do the job, the report into last month's derailment of a London Underground train at Hammersmith concludes today.

A broken rail caused the Piccadilly line train to crash - but the defect was not spotted during a visual inspection of the lines the previous night.

The inspection team has already been cleared of blame because the crack would not have been visible to the naked eye.

But in a damning indictment of the equipment available to the inspection team, London Underground's own report found "the lighting used is not sufficient for a adequate inspection of the assets".

"The halogen head-torches provided are adequate in terms of the needs of the patrolman for his personal safety, but would not provide the light levels or beam required to identify the more subtle defects."

The lack of such a basic requirement as more powerful torches will only heighten the safety fears of the RMT, the largest of the Tube unions, which has ordered a campaign of industrial action set to cause massive disruption to services in the run-up to Christmas.

Union leaders launched the campaign after their demands for improved safety standards, including a return to 24-hour inspections of the track, were turned down by London Underground.

As the Evening Standard revealed yesterday, the industrial action will include a 48-hour " goslow" by drivers, starting on Monday week - the same day as the victory parade of England's rugby team through London.

Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to flood into London that day - but there will be massive travel chaos with train drivers limited to a maximum of 25mph, causing "traffic-jams" of trains.

This could result in lines having to shut down while congestion clears. Industrial action could also include 24-hour strikes on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and a weeklong drivers' "go-slow" in mid-December.

The union is also demanding that speed limits be introduced where track defects are discovered; a guarantee that there will be no changes to these standards or reduction in maintenance staff without union agreement; and that all maintenance work be carried out by qualified London Underground employees.

An interim report into the derailment at Camden Town - which injured seven passengers and happened the same weekend as the Hammersmith crash - is also expected later today.