NETWORK Rail has today (Friday) been fined �3m over the health and safety breaches that led to the Potters Bar rail crash.
The sentence was issued by Judge Andrew Bright QC at St Albans Crown Court, having adjourned proceedings overnight.
Network Rail, which must also pay �150,000 costs, had pleaded guilty in March to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Seven people were killed and a further 76 injured in derailment at Potters Bar railway station on May 10, 2002.
In court yesterday, Prashant Popat QC, representing Network Rail, whose predecessor Railtrack were responsible for the disaster, apologised on the company’s behalf, calling it a “catastrophic” incident.
He said: “Network Rail wishes to express its genuine and deep remorse.”
The judge said: “At about 12.56pm on May 10 2002, the 12.45pm train from London Kings Cross to Kings Lynn came off the rails while travelling on the fast line at between 95mph and 100mph on its approach to Potters Bar railway station.
“As a result, there was a castastrophic accident in which seven people were killed and many more were injured.”
He added that an investigation by railway expert Simon Kay after the tragedy revealed 83 faults in relation to failed points on the line.
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