RAIL companies Jarvis and Network Rail were today hit by a damning report indicating poor maintenance was likely to have caused a train crash which killed seven people.

An investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was satisfied that "no evidence has yet been established" to support York-based Jarvis' view that sabotage caused a train to derail outside Potter's Bar station, near London, on May 10 last year.

The HSE body said a Her Majesty's Rail Inspectorate investigation had pinpointed the likely cause of the crash as the poor condition of a set of points where the passenger train came off the track.

But the report stressed the findings did not mean the railway network was unsafe. Rather, it highlighted lessons that, if heeded, would lead to a safer industry.

The report said the poor condition of the points at Potters Bar was "to an extent where they were not 'fit for purpose'."

The investigation said the failure of the points probably resulted from "insufficient maintenance" and "inappropriate adjustment", which probably arose from "a failure to fully understand the design and safety requirements for this type of points".

It concluded that there was a failure to recognise faults in the condition of the points and alleged that there were "deficiencies in the arrangements for inspection" including in those "intended to ensure that personnel were competent".

Maintenance of the line near Potters Bar was carried out for Railtrack, now Network Rail, by Jarvis.

Reacting to today's report, Kevin Groves, of Network Rail, said: "Railtrack owned the points but the responsibility for maintaining them, and ensuing they were maintained in a fit and proper fashion, was that of the infrastructure maintenance company (Jarvis Rail)."

At Jarvis Rail, spokesman Mike Tate, said: "We are studying the report, which is very detailed, and will put out a statement in due course."

It is understood that Jarvis Rail believes it complied with all line safety standards required by Railtrack, and that the report's recommendations target that organisation.

The HSE board reported that the investigation had seen no evidence for a system of reporting, recording or reviewing of defects such as that which, it believes, caused the crash.

Other sets of points in the Potters Bar area were also found to have similar, though less serious, maintenance deficiencies, which the report said was "indicating a wider problem".

Dr Mike Weightman, chairman of the board, said: "We hope that the lessons from the derailment are learned and that the industry moves forward. In making our recommendations, we are not saying the rail network is unsafe or that the regulatory regime is ineffectual, and we welcome the recent progress made, particularly since the advent of Network Rail."

Updated: 16:03 Thursday, May 29, 2003