Great Western Railway (GWR) has been fined £1 million following the tragic death of Bethan Roper, who was fatally injured after leaning out of an open window on a train traveling between Bath and Bristol. This heartbreaking incident, deemed preventable by the rail regulator, highlights serious safety oversights by the company.
Bethan Roper, 28, from Penarth near Cardiff, was returning from a Christmas shopping trip with friends in Bath on December 1, 2018. While the train was moving at approximately 75 mph near Twerton, she leaned out of a droplight window—designed to open—and struck a tree branch. Despite rapid response, Bethan was pronounced dead upon arrival at Bristol Temple Meads station.
Investigations revealed that GWR had been warned about the dangers posed by open droplight windows after a similar fatal accident in Balham in 2016. Following that incident, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) issued safety recommendations to all rail companies, including GWR. However, GWR delayed addressing these risks. They only produced a risk assessment in September 2017, several months after the RAIB’s recommendations, and this assessment was deemed inadequate by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The company failed to update or act upon these findings, leaving passengers vulnerable for over 18 months before the fatality occurred.
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The Office of Rail and Road took legal action against GWR for breaching health and safety laws. GWR pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay the £1 million fine plus more than £78,000 in investigation and prosecution costs. Since Bethan’s death, GWR and other train operators have taken steps to either phase out or modify droplight windows to prevent a recurrence.
Richard Hines, ORR’s Chief Inspector of Railways, expressed sympathy for Bethan’s family and emphasized the importance of proactive risk management by train operators. “Her death was a preventable tragedy that underscores the critical need for swift action on safety recommendations to protect passengers,” he stated. “This prosecution highlights the grave consequences of neglecting safety responsibilities. We commend GWR and the wider rail industry for implementing changes since, but safety must remain the foremost priority across Britain’s railways.”