UK News 18-10-2000 Four Killed In Hatfield Train Crash who: Four dead and 33 injured what: In GNER rail crash where: HATFIELD when: Yesterday snippet: "Buy your ticket, take your chance," says The Voice of The Mirror today. "But it`s not a million pound jackpot at stake, it`s your life. That`s the price you`re being asked to pay every time you buy a rail ticket in this country." "Public confidence in Britain`s railways hit a new low last night," says The Times, "after the third crash within four years left four people dead and 33 injured, three seriously." The 12.10 Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) from King`s Cross to Leeds came off the rails on a slight curve a few hundred yards south of Hatfield station in Hertfordshire. Four of the carriages ended up on their sides, crashing into pylons alongside the track. The roof of the buffet car was ripped off and debris was thrown 250 yards. The reason for the crash has not yet been discovered, although investigators have now ruled out a terrorist act, despite reports of a bomb threat 48 hours earlier. "Attention was focused on four possible explanations: an obstacle on the line, a broken rail or other track problem, a fault on the train, or the speed of the express," reports The Financial Times. "It is a basic human right to go to work without being killed by an inadequate transport system," says The Sun. "If it is shown that this crash was caused by neglect or cost-savings, there will be uproar." [... more]

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