Network Rail has been fined £1.2 million after a railway station wall collapsed and seriously injured an elderly man.
Edward Hanlon, then 81, was walking along an adjacent alleyway when the boundary wall beside a car park at Rugby station, Warwickshire, collapsed.
Mr Hanlon suffered several fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a blood clot in his lung, and spent two weeks in hospital.
The Office of Rail and Road said the incident in September 2022 had a “lasting impact” on him physically and mentally, leaving him in “persistent pain” and preventing him from returning to “many of the activities he had previously enjoyed”.
Mr Hanlon died in January 2025 after a diagnosis of lymphoma, which is a type of blood cancer.
Network Rail owned the wall and was responsible for its maintenance, but the installation of a fence in front of it by a previous tenant led to the mistaken assumption that the fence marked the station boundary, the ORR said.
The wall was consequently omitted from Network Rail’s inspections, and its deteriorating condition was not identified, according to the industry regulator.
The ORR said Network Rail was fined £1.2 million at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday after admitting an offence under health and safety at work legislation.
Richard Hines, the ORR’s HM chief inspector of railways, said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Hanlon’s family and friends.
“The sentence imposed by the court reflects the seriousness of Network Rail’s failings and the devastating consequences when infrastructure is not managed effectively.
“Duty holders must know which assets they are responsible for, carry out appropriate inspections, and take timely action to address defects before they pose a risk to people.
“This prosecution sends a clear message that ORR will not hesitate to take enforcement action where failures to manage safety expose workers or members of the public to serious harm.”
Gary Walsh, route director for Network Rail, said: “We are deeply sorry for the incident at Rugby station in September 2022, for the injuries suffered by Mr Hanlon and the distress caused to his family.
“Following the incident, we reviewed the circumstances surrounding the wall, took action to address the immediate risks and strengthened processes relating to asset records, boundary identification and inspection management.
“While incidents of this nature are rare, we remain committed to continually improving the safety of our infrastructure for passengers, neighbours and the wider public.”
