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Heritage Railways Getting Steamed Up Over New Rules

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 February 2006, 06:00 CST

The future of heritage railways which bring back the lost age of steam could be under threat from new safety regulations.

Private heritage companies fear that the new rules regarding safety inspections could seriously damage their businesses.

They believe that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) could sort out the problem rather than "hide" behind new EU safety guidelines.

Until now, safety of heritage railways has been the responsibility of the Railway Inspectorate.

But the Heritage Railway Association has said that the HSE, in its interpretation of an EU directive, is trying to bring in new arrangements requiring heritage societies to employ an inspector themselves.

This could prove costly and could hit the development plans, and even the existence, of societies, the association believes.

"We are very concerned," said Bill Hillier, a director of the Heritage Railways Association and company secretary of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

He went on: "The UK Government had the right to exempt heritage railways from the EU directive and it seems to me that the HSE is hiding behind the directive when it could easily sort this out themselves.

"The change of rules is unnecessary. The Railway Inspectorate would still have to have the final say on safety. It would be very much easier if the whole matter was deferred until control of the inspectorate passes from the HSE to the Office of Rail Regulation."

The Health and Safety Executive said: "The changes provide the whole railway industry with greater flexibility for their operations, while HSE's Railway Inspectorate can concentrate on providing more effective advice, support and proportionate enforcement for all railway companies, focusing on areas of greatest risk to passengers and railway workers."

Source: Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)

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