Jailed for Manslaughter of Rail Workers

They caused the death of four men - one from Cumbria and three from Lancashire - died after they were hit by a runaway trailer at Tebay, Cumbria, in February 2004. Others were seriously injured.

The men were killed when a wagon carrying 16 tonnes of steel rail tracks came out of the darkness and hit them as they worked on the West Coast Main Line.

Mark Connolly,the boss of MAC Machinery Services, had deliberately disconnected the hydraulic brakes on two wagons because it was cheaper than repairing the wagons properly. He then filled cables connecting the crane - usually filled with hydraulic brake fluid - with ball bearings, giving the impression everything was above board.

Commenting on the case, RMT general secretary Bob Crow said, "It is only right that bosses responsible for the avoidable deaths of workers should go to prison. Four men died at Tebay as the result of cynical and deliberate tampering with a vehicle to hide the fact that it was not fit for its purpose, and for no other reason than making money."

He added, "One-man-and-a-dog outfits like Connolly's should never be allowed anywhere near our railways, and it is the crazy set-up that lets any number of subbies and agencies loose on the network that created the conditions for this tragedy to take place."

But the RMT blame rail privatisation for the situation,"The railways' safety culture has been systematically undermined by privatisation, and it is that basic fault-line that must be repaired. Profit and safety do not mix, and the privateers must go." , he said.

He called for a "... a single structure with a single line of command and communication and the consistent application of safety standards that put safety ahead of any other consideration."

"Network Rail have already brought rail maintenance back in-house for safety and efficiency reasons, and for exactly the same reasons they should bring all renewals work back in-house too," Bob Crow said.

Whilst welcoming the prosecution and jailing of rail boss Mark Connolly for the manslaughter of four maintenance workers, the TUC has voiced concern that it is still much easier to prosecute the directors of small companies, than the senior executives of large ones.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The families of the dead men will be pleased with today's verdict, but of course it doesn't bring their loved ones back. Hopefully it will send a warning to other employers not to take major safety risks just to save a few pounds.

"Although a welcome decision, the success in this case must be contrasted with the failure to successfully prosecute the directors of large companies such as Transco, Balfour Beattie, and various rail companies following other recent deaths."

"Today has also seen the jailing of crane driver Roy Kennett, who was just an employee, yet no directors were jailed after the rail crashes at Hatfield or Paddington. This illustrates the urgent need for both a new offence of corporate killing and new duties on individual directors. The Government must introduce both as soon as possible."