Network Rail fined £1.2m after wall falls on man

Network Rail has been fined £1.2m after a wall fell and seriously injured an elderly man in Rugby.

Edward Hanlon was walking in an alleyway next to the car park at Rugby railway station on 16 September 2022 when brickwork collapsed on him, leaving him with several fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a blood clot on his lung. He was 81.

The Office for Rail and Road (ORR) said the events left a lasting impact on him, both physical and mental.

Gary Walsh from Network Rail said: "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."

Network Rail was responsible for the maintenance of the wall, but a previous tenant had erected a fence which led the government-owned firm to assume the wooden panelling indicated the boundary of the station.

That meant the safety and integrity of the wall was not inspected and investigations showed its deterioration was not identified, according to ORR.

Richard Hines, 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."

Walsh, the 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."

Network Rail was fined at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 7 August.

It also was ordered to pay court costs and a victim surcharge of £2,000.

Hanlon died in January 2025 after being diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

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