Media centre

Monday 28 Jul 2003

GREAT WESTERN FIRST TO COMPLETE RAILWAY SAFETY PROGRAMME

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Great Western has become the first region in the country to complete installation of a major trackside safety system.  The last piece of equipment for the Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) has just been fitted at Barnwood, near Gloucester. Only two years ago the region was at the bottom of the table for TPWS installation, so this milestone marks a considerable achievement. The £500m nationwide programme, the biggest single investment in safety on Britain’s railways to date, is designed to reduce the consequences of a signal passed at danger (SPAD).  It automatically applies the brakes of any train that has passed a red signal or that is travelling too fast on the approach to a speed restriction, buffer-stop or signal set at danger. The national project involved the fitting of over 10,800 signals, 700 buffer stops and approximately 3,000 sites nationwide where there are permanent speed restrictions. Commenting on the achievement of Great Western, Project Manager Dave Barton said: “At present we are the only region to have finished the fitments commissioning . It is an excellent achievement and a good example of how we can work effectively with our contractor, Amey Rail. This new Train Protection Warning System will bring major improvements to railway safety.” -more- TPWS - 2 In addition to the infrastructure work, all 5,200 trains operating on the network have also had to be fitted with train borne equipment by the train operating companies and their drivers trained in how the system works.