Railtrack and the Conservatives yesterday called for a complete rethink of the way in which Britain's railways operate as an interim report by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that a broken rail was the likely cause of the Hatfield train derailment.
As Railtrack's chief executive, Mr Gerald Corbett, criticised the way in which the railway system was privatised - he said the system was "designed to maximise the proceeds to the Treasury" - the Conservatives admitted they had made mistakes at the time of privatisation.
Reducing the number of companies responsible for maintaining and operating the railway system, reversing years of underinvestment and delivering a 25 per cent increase in the number of trains were ideas put forward by Mr Corbett who said privatisation had "ripped apart" the railway system.
Meanwhile, inquests into the deaths of the four people killed in the crash were opened and adjourned at Hertford Coroner's Court.