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Hatfield Rail CrashThe Hatfield rail crash was a railway accident that occurred on 17 October 2000, at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. A Great North Eastern Railway Intercity train bound for Leeds had left London King's Cross at 1210 local time. It was travelling at over 115mph, when it suddenly derailed south of Hatfield station at around 1224. Four people were killed and further seventy were injured. Those who died were: - Robert James Alcorn, 37, of Auckland, New Zealand
- Steve Arthur, 46, from Pease Pottage, West Sussex
- Leslie Gray, 43, of Tuxford, Nottingham
- Peter Monkhouse, 50, of Headingley, Leeds
A preliminary investigation found that a rail had fragmented while the train had passed over it, and that the likely cause was "gauge corner cracking" (microscopic cracks in the rails). This led to temporary speed restrictions being imposed on huge lengths of Britain's railways, effectively cripling many routes, while checks were carried out on the rails. It was found that the incidence of cracks similar to those that caused the rail failure at Hatfield was alarmingly high throughout the country's railway lines. As a result, Railtrack, the company that owned Britain's railway tracks, instigated a nationwide (and costly) track replacement programme. The spiralling costs set in motion the series of events which resulted in the ultimate collapse of the company, and its replacement by the not-for-profit company Network Rail. Court case In 2003 six people and two companies – Network Rail (as successors of Railtrack) and the division of Balfour Beatty that maintained the track – were charged with manslaughter in connection with the accident. Charges against Network Rail/Railtrack and some of its executives were dropped in September 2004, but the other charges still stand. The trial began in January 2005; the judge, Mr Justice Mackay, has warned that it may take as long as a year. A key issue which the court will consider is the extent to which the poor condition of the rail was known in advance, and to consider any acts or failures to act that resulted. - Anthony Walker (Balfour Beatty's rail maintenance director) and Nicholas Jeffries (its civil engineer), deny manslaughter.
- Railtrack's Alistair Cook and Sean Fugill (both asset managers for the London North-East zone), and track engineer Keith Lee, also deny manslaughter.
- All five men, along with four others, are also accused of breaches of health and safety laws.
- Balfour Beatty denies charges of corporate manslaughter: it faces this charge because it is alleged that Nicholas Jeffries was sufficiently senior that his acts were acts of omission of the company
- Network Rail denies charges under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
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