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• The WSR Chairman, Chris Austin writes...
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The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) propose to institute charging for their supervision of heritage railways and the time they spend on their safety regulation. They foresee inspection of new works being undertaken in the future by consultants rather than their own inspectors. This change is triggered by new EU regulations designed to cover the main line railways.
Our concern on WSR is that this will increase costs and that it will be difficult (and expensive) to find consultants who are competent to approve schemes involving the use of heritage systems and equipment, that are very different from the requirements of the main line network. The costs are unknown at this stage, but could amount to several thousand pounds over the next couple of years – money we would prefer to devote Odney Manor’s restoration and other projects on the railway.
The WSR is proud to meet the demanding safety standards expected of us, but we think it unreasonable for Government to increase regulation on heritage railways and then charge them for the privilege. We do not ask Government for subsidy, and we make a huge contribution to the local economy, supported by the goodwill and donations of our volunteers and supporters. Since privatisation, the Government has generally been prepared to exempt heritage railways from the rigours of regulations designed for busy 125 mph main lines, to avoid the law of unintended consequences. We cannot understand why this has changed in the case of the current proposal.
We shall be lobbying through HRA to seek to change the proposal and Ian Liddell-Grainger, the MP for Bridgwater has offered to seek a meeting with the Minister to allow us to make our case directly, and I am keen to take up his offer. All staff and volunteers (whether or not you live in the Bridgwater constituency) are invited to write to Ian at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA to ask him to intervene. I will be meeting him shortly in the House of Commons to take this forward.
Chris Austin
Chairman of West Somerset Railway Plc
16 February 2006
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Safety Issues...
