A report into a fatal British train crash today ruled out vandalism or sabotage as a probable cause.
Seven people were killed and more than 70 injured when a high-speed train thundered off the rails at the suburban station of Potters Bar two months ago.
The report called for higher maintenance standards across the dilapidated national network and a fresh look at the design of track switching points, which were blamed for the derailment.
It was the fifth fatal accident in as many years to strike Britain's ageing railways.
The UK's Health and Safety Executive watchdog said in a preliminary report that it stuck to its belief that nuts were missing from a track switching point, leading to its failure.
But the safety watchdog said it was unable to release much of the detailed findings because it could jeopardise a separate investigation by the British Transport Police.
"The board concludes from the evidence available now that the variability of standards of maintenance and inspection of points across the network must be addressed," the report said. It found no evidence of vandalism or sabotage, a theory put forward by Jarvis Plc, the firm that looks after the Potters Bar track. It has vigorously defended itself against suggestions of poor maintenance standards.
Suspicions that a track fault was to blame for the crash have triggered a heated debate about the role of outside contractors in running the world's oldest rail network and wiped almost 50 percent off Jarvis's stock market value.
The Health and Safety Executive said tests on other points in the Potters Bar area found that 20 percent were not tight. One investigator also revealed tools provided by Jarvis to check other bits of track could not be used on some nuts.
Nevertheless Jarvis shares bounced four percent to 288p, partly on relief that the firm had escaped direct criticism.
PA