Quick history of recent train crashes:

• Southall – Occurred 19 September 1997; DPM John Prescott (with
• responsibility for transport) visited the scene on the same day.
• Ladbroke Grove – Occurred 5 October 1999; DPM John Prescott
• (with responsibility for transport) visited the scene on the same day.
• Hatfield – Occurred 17 October 2000; Transport Minister, Lord
• Macdonald of Tradeston, visited the scene the next day.
• Selby – Occurred 28 February 2001; DPM John Prescott (with
• responsibility for transport) visited the scene on the same day.
• Health Minister Yvette Cooper visited some of the injured at
• Pontefract General Infirmary.
• Potters Bar – Occurred 10 May 2002; Transport Secretary Stephen
• Byers visited the scene the next day.
• Ufton Nervet – Occurred 6 November 2004; Transport Secretary,
• Alistair Darling visited the scene two days later.

Grayriggs – no ministerial visit. Branson was there within 12 hours despite being on a family holiday in Switzerland. Even the RMT’s General Secretary, Bob Crow visited the scene that night.

On Friday the 23rd of February Douglas Alexander was in Wales for the Welsh Labour Party conference. Returning to a Scottish constituency could have taken him through Cumbria. Labour is having some problems with their campaign in Scotland. Brownite loyalist Alexander is “steering strategy”. He is probably too busy fending off the SNP’s coming electoral kicking on Brown’s home territory to be bothered with his ministerial responsibilities.

UPDATE : Scottish Labour took a £6,000 donation from Network Rail Limited three months ago.

UPDATE II : Scottish Labour had a total of £11,000 from Network Rail Limited last year.