Right Track
RSSB’s frontline quarterly magazine Issue 54 | Winter 2026
Check out the winter 2026 issue of Right Track, the Rail Safety and Standards Board's quarterly magazine for people on the operational front line.
Freight derailment at Audenshaw
Simulators: rethinking staff training
Tackling trauma in the workplace
Ten minutes with ScotRail driver Allanna Murphy
Behind the scenes: the numbers that drive freight
Overspeeding? Not on our watch
King’s Cross 1987: disaster sparked by a match
Mastering the map: why route knowledge matters
Tackling the dangers of dangerous goods
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Letter from the editor
There’s a case to be made that some of us have too much self-belief. Self-belief is the close relation of arrogance, and arrogance is best friends with lapses in judgement and errors.
But while it’s healthy for us to question ourselves from time to time, we also need to understand our capabilities and believe in the knowledge we’ve picked up and the training we’ve been given. Someone who encapsulates the best of these qualities is ScotRail driver Allanah Murphy—you can spend 10 minutes with her on page 5.
Allanah talks about her reaction to a platform-train interface incident. Such things can be very traumatic for drivers. With this in mind, South Western Railway’s Mark Lawson discusses the guidance he’s produced to help people through situations like this.
Elsewhere, we cover RAIB’s report on the freight train derailment that occurred in Greater Manchester in September 2024. In that incident, the wagons were empty, but many of our freight trains carry dangerous goods.
Network Rail’s Martin Bloomfield discusses the vital work of the Dangerous Goods Working Group. The Llangennech derailment in 2020 showed how fires can erupt when these trains come off the rails.
But fires can happen anywhere. In 1987, a fire broke out at King’s Cross Tube station. RSSB’s Tom Waghorn discusses the tragedy, outlines the lessons, and reminds us why they remain important.
Greg Morse Editor
Simulators are no longer solely the preserve of driver training, says Network Rail’s Justin Willett.
South Western Railway’s Mark Lawson: ‘How my experiences compelled me to support fellow colleagues affected by traumatic events on the network.’
GB Railfreight’s Bessie Matthews sheds light on the impressive numbers that keep Britain’s freight trains on track.
RSSB’s Tom Waghorn revisits the 1987 King’s Cross Underground fire, revealing change the event brought to the industry.
Editor Greg Morse discusses the importance of route knowledge, accurate reporting, and taking accurate actions.
