Failures by the driver, platform staff and the guard are to blame for the Lewes train crash.

The Health and Safety Executive report into the smash which derailed a passenger train travelling from London Victoria to Hastings blamed human error. But the HSE has no plans to prosecute the driver or rail firm Connex.

The driver of the train, which was carrying 12 passengers, passed a red signal and hit an empty train travelling from Seaford to Brighton on October 18 last year.

The report reads: "This was the result of human error. Both the signalling and braking systems have been tested and no evidence of any malfunction has been found. The signal involved had not previously been passed at danger."

However, the HSE praised the prompt actions of the signalman at Lewes who put out a "general stop" message within seconds of realising a collision was imminent. The report says a member of staff on the platform was distracted by passengers asking for train information.

He said he did not give a signal to the guard. However, the guard said he did receive a hand signal and rang the bell telling the driver to set off. He did not notice the "OFF" indicator on the platform was blank, showing that the signal was still red.

The 40-year-old driver, who qualified three years ago, had seen signal LW3 at danger as the train came into the platform and pulled up. But moments later he put a security system, the Driver's Reminder Appliance, into neutral when he should have activated it. On receiving the signal from the guard he pulled away, checking behind him. By the time he looked forward the cab had passed the signal and the crash happened a few seconds later.

David Ewart of Connex SouthCentral said: "We have already acted fully on the results of the railway industry's formal internal inquiry that took place after the low-speed collision.

"The railway inquiry showed that all safety devices were functioning properly and that the primary cause of the accident was driver error. There were security failings in the train dispatch procedures by station staff and in managing the safety functions at Lewes station, all of which have been addressed."

He said the driver had been completely reassessed on his competency and was being regularly supervised under a personal assessment plan. Lewes MP Norman Baker said more needed to be done to improve rail safety.

He said: "Nationally we need to have more investment in train protection systems and better signalling, which will mean more trains on the track and better safety."

The report concluded that there was insufficient evidence to provide a "realistic prospect of a conviction".

This has angered Shelley Atlas of the Brighton Line Commuters Group. She said: "When they say x amount of signals are passed at danger we say that there is not one that is acceptable."

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