This is the story of how Britain’s railway disasters, horrific though they may be, change the network for the better through the crucial lessons that are learned.

It starts with fatalities on early mining tramways before the dawn of the steam age and takes the story up to the present day. While many of Britain’s worst tragedies are covered in depth, such as Quintinshill in 1915 and Harrow & Wealdstone in 1952, the book also looks at others that had resounding consequences for safety.