SURVIVORS of the Potters Bar Rail Crash are due to give evidence at the inquest into the deaths of six passengers and an elderly pedestrian in 2002.

The passengers who were in the fourth carriage which came off the rails and careered into Potters Bar Train Station are among the witness due to give evidence tomorrow at the Spirella Building in Letchworth, Herts.

The crash, just before 1pm on May 10, 2002, which killed seven and left 76 injured, was caused by defective points on the East Coast Mainline around 150m from Potters Bar station.

Judge Michael Findlay Baker QC today outlined the issues to be covered in the two-month hearing, particularly how the points came to be defective and what standard of maintenance checks were carried out by Railtrack and contractors Jarvis.

Earlier today, Judge Baker told the jury of eight women and three men that three separate reports the day before the crash of violent jolts – known as “rough rides” - on the line around Potters Bar were either ignored, forgotten, or misunderstood.

He also revealed several inspections of the faulty points were carried out in the days and weeks leading up the crash.

In some of the inspections, the equipment was passed fit, and in others nuts and bolts were found to be missing and replaced but the incident was not reported to bosses.

The long-awaited inquest is expected to focus on the faulty equipment, the maintenance work, and the safeguards in place in 2002 to ensure train were running safely.

Judge Baker finished his closing speech this afternoon but indicating he would be willing to take further action if the inquest ruled that safety procedures are still not up to scratch eight years on.

He said: “If it appears action should be taken to prevent a reoccurence of fatalities similar to this on which the inquest is held, I may report in writing to a person of authority who may have power to take such action.”

He added the jury a big task which is “important and not an easy one”, but said it was important to bring justice to the families and friends of those who died and to provide closure for people who were injured in the crash.