THE Government should launch a public inquiry into points-related failures across Britain's rail network, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has demanded.

Mr Farron used Commons Transport Questions to ask ministers for a nationwide probe into points related failures across the network to ensure an incident like Grayrigg is not repeated.

The inquest into the tragedy blamed faulty points for the accident that killed 84-year-old Margaret Masson.

It also was told that there were 700 additional points failures in February 2007 alone along the line from Motherwell to Crewe.

Mr Farron also used his question to call on the Government not to deregulate Network Rail to ensure that safety remains the number one priority.

He said afterwards: “The death of Margaret Masson is a tragedy and the verdict of the inquest last week will hopefully have given her family some much needed closure.

"It is vital that the Government learns the lessons from this accident and acts immediately to ensure the safety of our railways.

“The fact that 700 points-related incidents were identified along just one stretch of the UK’s railways following the Grayrigg crash proves that a full nationwide inquiry is still needed to ensure that our railways are truly safe and to prevent another disaster like Grayrigg.

"The Grayrigg Inquest must also lead to the government resolving to ensure continued regulation of network rail.”