London - A railtrack director was criticised yesterday after appealing for an end to what he called "hysteria" about rail safety in the wake of the Paddington crash in which 30 people died.
Railtrack's commercial director, Mr Richard Middleton, was commenting after defending the company's proposals to re-open Paddington at midnight last night. "It really is time for the hysteria around rail safety to be calmed down," he told the BBC. "Rail is a safe mode of transport and Paddington station is safe."