Network Rail has been fined £1.2 million after pleading guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, following an investigation and prosecution by industry regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
The incident happened on 16 September 2022, when a boundary wall beside a car park at Rugby railway station collapsed onto 81-year-old pedestrian Edward Hanlon, who was using the adjacent alleyway.
Mr. Hanlon suffered several fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a blood clot in his lung, and spent two weeks in hospital. The incident had a lasting impact on him both physically and mentally, leaving him in persistent pain, restricting his mobility and preventing him from returning to many of the activities he had previously enjoyed. Mr. Hanlon died in January 2025 following a diagnosis of lymphoma.
Network Rail owned the wall and remained responsible for its repair and maintenance. However, undocumented redevelopment of the station car park by a previous tenant, including the installation of a fence in front of the wall, led to the mistaken assumption that the fence marked the station boundary.
ORR’s investigation found that the wall was consequently omitted from Network Rail’s inspections and that it failed to identify either the discrepancy in the boundary records or the wall’s deteriorating condition. These failings meant the risk the wall posed to members of the public went unidentified.
Richard Hines, ORR’s HM Chief Inspector of Railways, said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Hanlon’s family and friends. The sentence imposed by the court reflects the seriousness of Network Rail’s failings and the devastating consequences when infrastructure is not managed effectively.
“Duty holders must know which assets they are responsible for, carry out appropriate inspections, and take timely action to address defects before they pose a risk to people. This prosecution sends a clear message that ORR will not hesitate to take enforcement action where failures to manage safety expose workers or members of the public to serious harm.”
Image credit: ORR
