Track worker struck by a train near Surbiton

News story

Investigation into a track worker struck by a train near Surbiton station, south-west London, 9 February 2021.

At around 11:35 hrs on Tuesday 9 February 2021, a track worker was struck and fatally injured by a passenger train near Surbiton station, south-west London. The train, which was travelling from London Waterloo to Salisbury, was travelling at around 76 mph (112 km/h) on the down fast line.

The track worker was part of a group of four staff who were undertaking a planned inspection of switches and crossings (points). The work was planned to take place while the lines were open and with arrangements in place to protect staff from train movements.

Our investigation will aim to identify the sequence of events which led to the accident and will include consideration of the actions of those involved, the planned protection arrangements, the planning of the work relating to the inspection of switches and crossings where lines are open to traffic, and any relevant underlying factors.

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry, the British Transport Police or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

You can subscribe to automated emails notifying you when we publish our reports.

Published 22 February 2021

Statistical data set: Banana prices

Average weekly wholesale prices of bananas by country of origin

Statistical data set: Wholesale fruit and vegetable prices

Series of weekly average wholesale market prices of selected home grown horticultural produce.

The COVID-19 youth employment programme in D2N2 (OC08S21P1818)

Call to run a project to improve progression into the labour market for young people aged 16 to 24 who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through innovative and vocationally based skills activity leading to employment, including apprenticeships and traineeships, or further training and education opportunities.

Prime Minister to publish roadmap for cautiously easing COVID restrictions

The Prime Minister will today set out the government’s roadmap for cautiously easing lockdown restrictions in England.

Cabinet will meet virtually this morning to discuss the plan, the Prime Minister will give a statement to Parliament in the afternoon, and host a televised press conference in the evening.

He will set out the latest data on infection rates, hospitalisations and deaths, as well as early data showing the efficacy of vaccines.

The roadmap for leaving lockdown, which will be published on gov.uk on Monday, will seek to balance health, economic and social factors with the very latest epidemiological data and advice.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

Today I’ll be setting out a roadmap to bring us out of lockdown cautiously. Our priority has always been getting children back into school which we know is crucial for their education as well as their mental and physical wellbeing, and we will also be prioritising ways for people to reunite with loved ones safely.

Our decisions will be made on the latest data at every step, and we will be cautious about this approach so that we do not undo the progress we have achieved so far and the sacrifices each and every one of you has made to keep yourself and others safe.

We have therefore set four key tests which must be met before we can move through each step of the plan.

The roadmap outlines four steps for easing restrictions. Before proceeding to the next step, the government will examine the data to assess the impact of previous easements. This assessment will be based on four tests which are that:

The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully.
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.

The four tests are currently being met so the first step will proceed from 8 March, at which point the top four priority cohorts for vaccinations – as determined by the independent JCVI – will have received a degree of immunity, three weeks after being offered their first dose.

Due to the current, relatively uniform spread of the virus across the country, restrictions will be eased step-by-step across the whole of England at the same time.

The roadmap seeks to balance between social and economic impacts, whilst preserving the health and safety of the country.

Outdoor settings are known to be lower risk than indoor, so outdoor activities will be opened earlier than indoor ones.

MPs will have an opportunity to vote on the regulations that will enable this roadmap in Parliament in the coming weeks.

We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations as we have throughout the pandemic. They are setting out approaches for easing for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.