A lot of people have blamed this accident on privatisation, Thatcher, etc. but they are IMO missing the point.

And whether more people die on the roads than in rail crashes is also irrelevant. Because this accident is one that could have been avoided, it being the direct result of someone not doing their job properly. It wasn't caused by freak weather conditions, an earthquake or an Act of God, or plain bad luck - it was caused by a person not properly checking that this set of points were intact.

Whether the rail network and trains are owned by same company or not, this particular accident was the result of some individual(s) being negligent in their duty to the safety of passengers. And whether that person worked for British Rail, or a maintenance subcontractor, is irrelevant.

After Potters Bar, there can be no excuses this time, and those responsible - the individual(s) who were supposed to have checked the points; their managers; the subcontractor company; and Network Rail - must all be seen to be held to account. The procedures for checking the track should be changed so that they have to be signed off by two independent inspectors. We can't let them get away with this again.

How many more have to die before the government takes rail safety seriously?