I welcome the publication of the first findings of the Rail Accident Investigation Board’s examination of the causes of the major rail incident and subsequent blaze at Llangennech at the end of August.
Clearly we will have to wait for the completion of the investigation and the final report, but I do find it extremely worrying that the problems of brakes jamming on one of the wagons sound not dissimilar to the problems identified on a wagon back in 2017 which caused extensive damage to the track between Ferryside and Llangennech.
The RAIB raised concerns then about maintenance procedures, and serious questions now need to be answered about whether the necessary improvements have been made to those maintenance procedures, and if not, why not. It was a miracle that no-one was seriously injured or killed this time, and, once we have the final report, every step needs to be taken to ensure that this never happens again.
I will be pursuing all those responsible to implement in full the necessary improvements without any delay.