Wirral trams halted over safety concerns

7:00am Sunday 21st October 2012 in News

Wirral trams halted over safety concerns Wirral trams halted over safety concerns

SAFETY concerns have halted Wirral’s heritage trams for the foreseeable future.

They came to light during a routine safety audit.

A Wirral Council spokesman said that safety regulations covering railways and other guided transport systems required tram operators to have a suitable safety management system in place.

The council, he said, had recently conducted an internal health and safety audit which questioned whether safety arrangements on Wirral’s Tramway complied with the regulations.

Following the audit it was recommended that no trams should operate while their concerns are investigated.

There will be no tramway service for the foreseeable future while a working group is established to review the tramway’s management system and structure.

The working group will be tasked with  bringing forward an action plan to develop a safety management system that will comply with the requirements of the regulations.

Comments(12)

Robin of Loxely says...
9:34am Sun 21 Oct 12

I am glad to hear that Wirral borough Council are on the ball and halting the tram service after 17 years due to safety concerns!
Who are they trying to kid?
Someone somewhere is trying to justify their job!

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moab130 says...
9:58am Sun 21 Oct 12

Another nail in the coffin of the transport museum.
How many so called comitties and how much is this going to cost with all the expenses involved. Jobs for the boys i expect as usual.
Just wondering how long till the trams end up in Liverpool like the Telescope from Bidston and the machinery from the tidal observatory.

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David Scott says...
10:33am Sun 21 Oct 12

It's going to be difficult or impossible for the transport museum to comply with EU directives as implemented by the UK government. So sad.

Here is a taste of the regulations::

The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (as amended)

The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 ROGS came into force in 2006. ROGS provide the regulatory regime for rail safety, including mainline railways, metros, tramways and light rail (including London Underground) and heritage railways. The Regulations implement the European Railway Safety Directive (2004/49/EC), the aim of which is to establish a common approach to rail safety that will help support the development of a single market for rail transport services in Europe.

The regulations require most railway operators to maintain a safety management system (SMS) and hold a safety certificate or authorisation indicating the SMS has been accepted by the Office of Rail Regulation.

Download our Guide to ROGS ( PDF 914 Kb).
Published September 2012

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colin12100 says...
3:19pm Sun 21 Oct 12

Its strange that the council have done this after 17 years of the trams running and all this as the council try to close services. I think its just our loveable council trying to find other way to cripple groups and close them. Our council is an absolute shambles and I am ashamed of them.

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red devil says...
3:56pm Sun 21 Oct 12

H&S ride again - idiots. WBC you are sooooooooo transparent

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Positive thinker says...
6:17pm Sun 21 Oct 12

Has anyone asked the simple question
How many accidents have we had in seventeen years?there will no trams for the foreseeable future we will have to wait and see

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David Scott says...
7:06pm Sun 21 Oct 12

How many accidents have there been in 17 years? That is not the sort of question that interests euro-regulators and the gold-plating europhile bureaucracy over here.

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don't look back in anger says...
9:48pm Sun 21 Oct 12

health and safety at my works, have a go for paper stored in the wrong place, or windows with paper stuck on them and obstructing a view, but three rooms only have one door to escape in a fire and if that's blocked by the fire then there is no escape, but that's acceptable because it complies with health and safet and there's no law to say there has to be an alternative safe route to escape. crazy

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Wirralrob says...
11:13pm Sun 21 Oct 12

The tramway operates at around 10mph, and is nowhere near the speeds that the regulations cover. Where I live, my local company operates up to 50mph in passenger service between stops - and with railway-type sectional signalling there is a lot to go wrong.

But not at Birkenhead. Are the council for real?

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Haddy Nuff says...
1:27pm Mon 22 Oct 12

Just as my toddler and cousins have found what an enjoyment they can be with their grandparents. Sad times...

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keef666 says...
9:30am Thu 25 Oct 12

The answers simple pull out of Europe!

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David Scott says...
10:56am Fri 26 Oct 12

Agreed. Then we will be able to rein in our own bureaucracies.

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