Yesterday (Thursday 25 June), the Transport Secretary,
, spoke to rail
staff and first responders to the incident south of
Bedford outside Elstow to thank them for
their response.
The Transport Secretary spoke to staff
and volunteers from the Salvation
Army, Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR), the
British Transport Police,
East Midlands Railway (EMR), the East of England
Ambulance Service, Network Rail and the Red
Cross.
Transport Secretary, , said:
The response from our first responders and rail staff to the
tragic incident outside Bedford last Friday was, and continues to
be, nothing short of heroic. It was a privilege to speak to some
of them yesterday to thank them for their courage and
continued professionalism.
It's clear their quick thinking helped prevent further
casualties and, alongside the numerous acts of kindness
from the local community, they represent the best of
us.
I also had an opportunity to pay tribute to the train driver who
lost his life. My thoughts continue to be with his loved ones and
the whole rail family.
Staff from across the rail network and beyond provided vital care
and support to those affected, working with emergency services in
the immediate aftermath at the site and in the
following days, enabling the Rail Accident Investigation
Branch (RAIB) to undertake its
investigation without interference.
Work continues to support those affected with a dedicated care
line, recovery of passenger's belongings and
restoring train services on the line.
The RAIB published an update on Wednesday
24 June which provided a sequence of events that
led to the incident. There is still more
to establish on the collision, and a full report
will be published in due course.
