Only a few days ago, the misery of passengers stranded on a rail network half paralysed in the wake of the Hatfield tragedy was making all the headlines.

Then some of the worst floods and storms in living memory struck, and suddenly the emphasis had shifted.

True, the weather had the effect of crippling the rail network even more. For two days at the beginning of the week it virtually ground to a halt. But the railway's problems were just part of a much bigger story: the story of the misery and suffering of ordinary people driven from their homes by the inexorably rising flood waters.

The problems with our rail network that emerged following the derailment of the 12.10pm GNER King's Cross to Leeds train at Hatfield 17 days ago, though, will remain with us long after the floodwaters have receded.

Part of the reason for the tragedy, it appears, was deterioration of track.

In the wake of the tragedy, engineers began the biggest programme of work on Britain's rail network in more than 100 years.

Engineers have identified 1,850 rails which may have hairline cracks in them - known as gauge corner cracking - all of which need checking. Before the bad weather struck, workmen had succeeded in re-laying almost 24 miles of rail at more than 160 sites across the country. But even without further floods, Railtrack has warned that delays could get worse before they get better.

Only yesterday, a mail train crashed into a stationary coal train after passing two red lights at Lawrence Hill Station near Bristol city centre, in what was a chilling echo of the Paddington disaster a year ago.

In this two-page special, we look at the problems facing our railways and at what can be done to restore our confidence in them as a safe means of travel.