Too hard on Railtrack
From Mr Michael Wadman Sir: I suppose that it was inevitable that Alan Rusbridger (Diary, 16 October) would toe the government line and blame Railtrack for the Ladbroke Grove tragedy. How useful for this government that the previous adminis- tration set up Railtrack: not only is it a use- ful whipping-boy to take the blame that would otherwise be directed at the govern- ment, but the government can join in as well.
Unfortunately, as Ross Clark pointed out ('On the Wrong Track', 16 October), the collision was caused by a Thames Train driver running through a red light and can- celling the AWS warning that would other- wise have stopped his train. Railtrack had nothing to do with it. And the ATP system that might have prevented the crash? The technical specs have been sitting in Prescott's in-tray for seven months awaiting his approval, without which Railtrack can do nothing.
The government's response to this is to announce a totally unnecessary public inquiry under a Scottish lawyer with the obvious remit of deflecting the blame somewhere — anywhere — rather than at the driver. After all, we can't expect people to take personal responsibility for their actions, can we? Not when there's a big bad plc out there to blame instead.
Michael Wadman
10 Wetherby Court, 226 South Norwood Hill, London SE25
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