RAIL chiefs in East Anglia today welcomed new figures showing the number of signals passed at danger (SPADs) at an all time low.But they warned against complacency, and said driver training to avoid the problem would continue.

By Paul Geater

RAIL chiefs in East Anglia today welcomed new figures showing the number of signals passed at danger (SPADs) at an all time low.

But they warned against complacency, and said driver training to avoid the problem would continue.

National figures show that the number of SPADs in September across the rail network was just 24 – with none on East Anglian lines.

Jonathan Denby from Anglia Railways said the figures were very welcome – but the industry was anxious not to get over-confident.

"We certainly give this news a cautious welcome, but it is something we constantly have to keep an eye on," he said.

"The industry has put a lot of time and effort into training drivers in an attempt to reduce the number of SPADs.

"That training is now bearing fruit which is why the number of incidents has fallen – but we cannot ease up or get complacent," he said.

In September 11 of the SPADs were regarded as serious - the same number as in the corresponding month the previous year.

The total of 24 SPADs in September 2002 was 19 fewer than the average figure for this month over the last six years.

Thirteen of the 24 SPADs were at signals with a previous SPAD history, although in four of these cases the signal had not been passed at danger during the last five years.

Two trains ran past the signal by more than 200 yards in the September 2002 incidents, while in four instances it was not the first time that the driver had passed a signal at danger.