FRESH calls for a public inquiry into the Grayrigg train disaster have been made by leading figures in South Lakeland.

As the anniversay of the derailment was marked on Wednesday, there are fears lessons from the tragedy have not been learnt.

Four years ago a Glasgow-bound Virgin Pendolino train left the West Coast Main Line north of Kendal at 95mph.

A Rail Accident Investigation Branch inquiry ruled the train left the track after passing over badly-maintained points.

There are now renewed appeals for a public examination into the 2007 disaster from a transport union, an MP and a district councillor.

“I think structural deficiencies in the railway are still there,” said Craig Johnston, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) north west committee member.

“That is the reason we need a full public inquiry. I don't think any lessons have been learnt from Grayrigg at all. Grayrigg followed on from Potters Bar and we still don't know what happened there.”

Like Mr Johnston, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron believes there is still sufficient ground for one to be held, despite four years elapsing.

“We have never had a comprehensive inquiry into the links between different points-related rail disasters,” said Mr Farron.

“There is clearly a management and systems failure to securely monitor points. Passengers are still at risk and there is no clear evidence that we now have adequate systems in place to guarantee we won’t have another Grayrigg.”

The MP said such an inquiry would allow Grayrigg to be examined with the Potters Bar disaster, when seven people died, in 2002. which was also caused by neglected points.

“Some may say four years is a long time and we should just forget about it but that's what happened after Potters Bar - then we had Grayrigg,” said Mr Johnston.

South Lakeland District Councillor Peter Thornton, whose Whinfell ward includes Grayrigg, said: “A full public inquiry would bring this into the open.

The crucial thing is to have a good, sound system and a workforce that follows it.”

The Grayrigg derailment killed 84-year-old Margaret Masson and left dozens of others seriously injured.

The report which followed revealed that Network Rail failed to carry out a scheduled track inspection in the area five days before the crash.

Three Network Rail employees were arrested in 2007 but two years later they were told they would not face criminal charges.

Later in 2009, the then Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, ruled out a public inquiry into either Potters Bar or Grayrigg, and said two separate inquests would better serve the public interest.

A Department for Transport spokesman told The Westmorland Gazette there were no current plans for a public inquiry.

“We believe that the inquest, alongside the investigations carried out so far, will ensure that lessons are learned and acted upon and, as such, would be as effective as a public inquiry.”

The spokesman added that the DfT had yet to be informed of a date when the Grayrigg inquest would be held.