GWR Droplight Window Incident: UK Rail Safety & Risk Management

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Introduction

Great Western Railway (GWR) was fined £1 million and ordered to pay over £78,000 in costs after pleading guilty to health and safety breaches, following an Office of Rail and Road (ORR) investigation into a fatal incident near Twerton on 1 December 2018.

Background of the Incident

The incident involved 28-year-old Bethan Roper, who sustained a fatal head injury after extending her head out of a droplight window on a moving GWR train and colliding with a tree branch. Droplight windows, common on trains with slam doors, can be lowered to open.

Previous Safety Recommendations

In 2016, a similar incident resulted in a passenger fatality near Balham, south London. Following this, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) issued safety recommendations in May 2017. GWR was aware of prior incidents but did not create a written risk assessment for droplight windows until September 2017. This assessment identified the hazard as a significant passenger safety risk, and some identified risk-reduction actions were not implemented before the 2018 accident.

Post-Incident Actions

Following Ms. Roper’s death, additional safety recommendations were issued across the rail industry to prevent passengers from leaning out of droplight windows. Consequently, all rolling stock operated by train companies with droplight windows has either been removed from service or equipped with engineering controls to prevent window opening during train movement.

ORR Statement

Richard Hines, ORR’s Chief Inspector of Railways, stated: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Bethan Roper. Her death was a preventable tragedy that highlights the need for train operators to proactively manage risks and act swiftly when safety recommendations are made to keep their passengers safe. Our investigation found that GWR fell short in its responsibilities, and this prosecution reflects the serious consequences of that failure. We welcome the actions taken since by GWR and the wider industry to reduce the risks. Safety must always remain the first priority across Britain’s railways.”

Conclusion

Great Western Railway was fined following an investigation into a fatal incident involving a passenger who leaned out of a droplight window. The ORR investigation revealed shortcomings in GWR’s risk management, leading to the prosecution. Post-incident actions included additional safety recommendations and the modification or removal of rolling stock with droplight windows.

Company Summary

Great Western Railway (GWR): A train operating company.

Office of Rail and Road (ORR): The independent safety and economic regulator for Britain’s railways.

Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB): An independent body that investigates railway accidents and incidents in the UK.

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