A private firm sub-contracted to carry out track maintenance put
forward a "preposterous" sabotage theory after seven people died
when a train hit faulty points and derailed, a lawyer representing
victims' families has told an inquest.
Jarvis's suggestion that points at Potters Bar, Hertfordshire,
had been tampered with prior to the
rail disaster in May 2002 was "wholly untenable", John Hendy QC
told the inquest into the accident.
Another lawyer suggested to inquest jurors that Jarvis had "put
up" former Conservative Transport Minister Steven Norris - then one
of the firm's directors - to "make comments" to the media about the
sabotage theory.
Jurors heard a recording of an interview Mr Norris gave to the
BBC shortly after the crash in which he said there was "compelling
evidence" that sabotage was "a very distinct possibility".
Judge Michael Findlay Baker QC, who is presiding over the
inquest, has told jurors that experts concluded that the "root
cause" of the crash was the failure of a set of points south of
Potters Bar station.
He said Railtrack - since succeeded by Network Rail - had
primary responsibility for track and signals at the time of the
crash.
Maintenance had been sub-contracted to Jarvis. The judge said
Jarvis went into administration earlier this year.
Jurors heard today that Network Rail and Jarvis had accepted
responsibility for the crash in 2004.
Six passengers - Austen Kark, Emma Knights, Jonael Schickler,
Alexander Ogunwusi, Chia Hsin Lin and Chia Chin Wu - and pedestrian
Agnes Quinlivan died and more than 70 were hurt when the 1245
London to King's Lynn, Norfolk, train crashed at Potters Bar
station at 1pm on May 10 2002, the inquest has heard.
The inquest, being held in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, is
expected to end later this summer.