ORR says some tram networks still implementing technical protections ten years after Sandilands

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has used the tenth anniversary of the Sandilands tram overturning in Croydon, in which seven people died and 19 were seriously injured, to warn that some tram networks are still implementing technical protections.

In a blog published on 9 November 2026, Richard Hines, HM Chief Inspector of Railways, said the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) made 15 recommendations after the incident, which he described as a catalyst for change across the tram sector.

ORR said its latest safety report shows that some technical protections are still being implemented on other tram networks, and that it will continue to hold dutyholders to account for completing improvements and checking that safeguards work in practice.

Hines also called for the sector to adopt proven innovations more quickly where they offer safety benefits. "Robust assurance remains essential, but it should support, rather than unnecessarily delay, the adoption of effective risk controls," he said.

What changed in Croydon

On the Croydon network, ORR said, automatic braking now protects against excessive speed at high-risk locations. Driver vigilance devices, stronger speed warnings, improved lighting and revised risk assessments add further layers of protection.

London Trams has cut its network-wide speed limit from 80km/h to 70km/h and improved evacuation procedures and emergency lighting on board, according to ORR. Transport for London (TfL) says all recommendations directed at its network have been completed.

At the time of the 2023 sentencing, ORR listed post-incident changes including systems to prevent overspeeding on tight curves and more signage and chevrons at the Sandilands curve and other high-risk areas along the track.

The investigation and prosecution

RAIB published its report on 7 December 2017. It found it probable that the driver temporarily lost awareness on a section of route where his workload was low, and that there was no mechanism to monitor driver alertness at the time. ORR has described the tram as travelling in poor weather at three times the permitted speed.

ORR's prosecution led to TfL and Tram Operations Limited (TOL) being fined a combined £14m on 27 July 2023 for health and safety failings. TfL, which owns and maintains the infrastructure, was fined £10m; TOL, which operates the network, was fined £4m. ORR said neither company had carried out a suitable or sufficient assessment of the risks of a high-speed derailment, and that of the 69 passengers on the tram only one escaped injury.

Organisation fined in 2023	Fine
Transport for London	£10m
Tram Operations Limited	£4m

Ian Prosser CBE, then Chief Inspector of Railways, said in 2023 that both companies accepted they had not done everything reasonably practicable to ensure passenger safety. "We will continue to scrutinise this vital industry and hold operators to account if they fall short," he said.

Sector-wide response

ORR said the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB) now supports shared risk analysis, industry guidance and stronger standards, and recently brought the sector together to review progress on overspeed protection, driver vigilance and emerging technologies. ORR's blog dates the board's establishment to 2019; LRSSB's own website says it was set up in 2018 and has led the sector in meeting the RAIB recommendations. LRSSB describes itself as the central body co-ordinating advances in tramway safety and says confirmation of Department for Transport funding in 2022 allowed it to strengthen its senior management team.

ORR's annual health and safety report for 2025-26 said serious incidents in the tram sector remain rare but weaknesses persist in managing risk at public interfaces. The same report described overspeeding as one of the most significant and insufficiently controlled risks on the railway.

Commemoration

Croydon Council said a public ceremony was due to take place at 11am on Monday 9 November 2026 in Market Square, New Addington, including a reading of the names of those who died, a silence and the laying of floral tributes. Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said the borough will always remember those it lost.

The council directed anyone affected to the Sarah Hope Line, which provides practical and emotional support for people affected by serious incidents on the TfL network.