The families of two men who “lost their lives in an instant” after being hit by a train while working on the tracks in South Wales have said the tragedy must never be repeated.
Network Rail was fined almost £4 million at Swansea Crown Court on Friday after the deaths of the two track workers in July 2019.
Gareth Delbridge, 64, and Michael “Spike” Lewis, 58, were struck and killed by a train at Margam, near Port Talbot, after the company failed to put in place proper measures to protect workers, with no long-distance lookout in place.
Network Rail was fined £3.75 million plus £175,000 in costs for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by Recorder Christian Jowett.
The families of Mr Delbridge and Mr Lewis paid tribute to their lost loved ones, saying the “tragedy must never be repeated” and blamed their employer for failing to protect them.
In a statement issued through the law firm Hugh James, they said: “On July 3 2019 Gareth Delbridge and Michael Lewis lost their lives in an instant, leaving an irreplaceable void in their families and among those who knew them.
“Their tragic and untimely deaths serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the risks faced by railway workers every day.
“The profound impact of their loss continues to be felt deeply by their loved ones, friends, and colleagues.
“Gareth and Mike were not just workers; they were devoted family members, cherished friends, and valued members of their community.
“Their absence is felt in every moment, and the pain of losing them remains immeasurable.
“What makes this tragedy even more devastating is that their deaths were preventable. The failure of both their employer and the regulator to implement and enforce proper safety protocols cost them their lives.
“This should never have happened and there needs to be accountability to ensure that no other family has to endure such unimaginable loss.”
The family acknowledged that progress had been made in track worker safety since the incident in 2019, but urged the industry to “continue prioritising and improving safety measures”.
“No life should be put at unnecessary risk due to systemic failures or inadequate protections,” they said.
“Though no amount of change can bring Gareth and Mike back, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that their deaths lead to lasting improvements in railway safety.
“Their legacy must be one of change – change that protects workers, saves lives, and ensures that such a tragedy is never repeated.”
The judge said issues surrounding safety policy had been known for some time ahead of the incident but Network Rail had failed to make improvements.
In the absence of technological solutions, the only protection workers had was a lookout, which Mr Jowett described as the “lowest level of protection”.
Despite a bend in the track, no long-distance look-out had been put in place, and the workers were using noisy machinery.
The judge said none of the workers were aware of the approaching train “until it was too late”.
In a statement on Friday, Nick Millington, route director at Network Rail Wales & Borders, said the deaths should “should never have happened on our railway”.
He insisted the company had continued to make safety improvements since the incident, with new technology and planning tools having “almost entirely eliminated the need to work on the railway when trains are running”.
“Today’s judgment reinforces why safety must always be our first consideration, and we will continue to do all we can to make our railways the safest they can be,” he said.
