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| Grayrigg train crash: Son forgives crash engineer | Grayrigg train crash: Son forgives crash engineer |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The son of a woman killed in the Grayrigg train crash in Cumbria says he has forgiven the engineer who forgot to check the tracks. | The son of a woman killed in the Grayrigg train crash in Cumbria says he has forgiven the engineer who forgot to check the tracks. |
| Margaret Masson, 84, of Glasgow, died after the Virgin train derailed on the West Coast main line in February 2007. | Margaret Masson, 84, of Glasgow, died after the Virgin train derailed on the West Coast main line in February 2007. |
| The train went over a "degraded" set of points at 92mph and careered down an embankment, leaving 88 people injured, including two members of the train crew. | The train went over a "degraded" set of points at 92mph and careered down an embankment, leaving 88 people injured, including two members of the train crew. |
| Dave Lewis, a maintenance manager from Preston who worked at Network Rail, admitted at a hearing that he was "under pressure" and had forgotten to inspect the points near where the train derailed. | |
| Now, five years after the crash, BBC's Inside Out has brought Mr Lewis and Mrs Masson's son George together to "close a chapter" in their lives. | Now, five years after the crash, BBC's Inside Out has brought Mr Lewis and Mrs Masson's son George together to "close a chapter" in their lives. |
| 'If only' | 'If only' |
| Speaking about the day he heard the news about his mother, Mr Masson said: "My son rang me at my office and said: 'Sit down'. | Speaking about the day he heard the news about his mother, Mr Masson said: "My son rang me at my office and said: 'Sit down'. |
| "I said: 'What's wrong?' He said: 'Mum's been killed'. I just broke down then." | "I said: 'What's wrong?' He said: 'Mum's been killed'. I just broke down then." |
| The following day, Mr Masson and his family went to the crash site. | The following day, Mr Masson and his family went to the crash site. |
| He said: "We actually saw the train and where my mum was. We stayed there about half an hour." | He said: "We actually saw the train and where my mum was. We stayed there about half an hour." |
| At an inquest in November 2011, Mr Lewis said he had been "under pressure" when he failed to patrol a section of the West Coast main line five days before the crash. | At an inquest in November 2011, Mr Lewis said he had been "under pressure" when he failed to patrol a section of the West Coast main line five days before the crash. |
| He said he had felt like a man "spinning plates on sticks". | He said he had felt like a man "spinning plates on sticks". |
| The hearing was told how Mr Lewis had sent an email to his bosses one year before the crash, in which he described the inspection system as a "shambles". | The hearing was told how Mr Lewis had sent an email to his bosses one year before the crash, in which he described the inspection system as a "shambles". |
| The jurors heard how an inquiry ruled the "immediate cause" of the crash was that the train had gone over a "degraded and unsafe" set of points, known as Lambrigg 2B. | The jurors heard how an inquiry ruled the "immediate cause" of the crash was that the train had gone over a "degraded and unsafe" set of points, known as Lambrigg 2B. |
| One of three stretcher bars, which keep moving rails a set distance apart, was missing while the other two were fractured and bolts were missing. | One of three stretcher bars, which keep moving rails a set distance apart, was missing while the other two were fractured and bolts were missing. |
| They also heard how Mr Lewis and his team were under-staffed, with workers not given the right tools or enough time to carry out checks. | They also heard how Mr Lewis and his team were under-staffed, with workers not given the right tools or enough time to carry out checks. |
| Mr Lewis said: "I realised what I should have done the weekend prior and I just said to one of our senior managers: 'That is down to me. Nobody else, that's me'. | Mr Lewis said: "I realised what I should have done the weekend prior and I just said to one of our senior managers: 'That is down to me. Nobody else, that's me'. |
| "I would say not a week goes by when I don't think: 'If only I'd done that'." | "I would say not a week goes by when I don't think: 'If only I'd done that'." |
| After the crash, Mr Lewis said he "lost a heck of a lot" after his marriage broke down, he lost his job and he had to sell his house. | After the crash, Mr Lewis said he "lost a heck of a lot" after his marriage broke down, he lost his job and he had to sell his house. |
| Mr Masson said: "I wanted to rip his [Mr Lewis'] head off his shoulders, I just wanted to kill him, that is the way I felt - he took my mother's life, I'll take his life. | Mr Masson said: "I wanted to rip his [Mr Lewis'] head off his shoulders, I just wanted to kill him, that is the way I felt - he took my mother's life, I'll take his life. |
| "When I heard his evidence I started putting two and two together and I said: 'No that is not right, he did not deserve that', especially when I heard the emails and telephone conversations. Nobody listened to him. | "When I heard his evidence I started putting two and two together and I said: 'No that is not right, he did not deserve that', especially when I heard the emails and telephone conversations. Nobody listened to him. |
| "I stood up and the coroner asked if I had anything to say and I told him: 'For what that man tried to do I respect him - I'll have a drink with him any time'." | "I stood up and the coroner asked if I had anything to say and I told him: 'For what that man tried to do I respect him - I'll have a drink with him any time'." |
| Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd admitted health and safety breaches in April and was fined £4m. | Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd admitted health and safety breaches in April and was fined £4m. |
| 'Sincerity and remorse' | 'Sincerity and remorse' |
| As part of the BBC Inside Out programme, Mr Lewis travelled over the crash site in a train for the first time since 2007. | As part of the BBC Inside Out programme, Mr Lewis travelled over the crash site in a train for the first time since 2007. |
| He said: "This is the first time I have been on the train since the accident. | He said: "This is the first time I have been on the train since the accident. |
| "My stomach is turning over now just thinking about where we are going. | "My stomach is turning over now just thinking about where we are going. |
| "It's an amazing feeling inside... it has helped me. That's another chapter closed." | "It's an amazing feeling inside... it has helped me. That's another chapter closed." |
| He then travelled to Glasgow for an emotional meeting with Mr Masson and his family. | He then travelled to Glasgow for an emotional meeting with Mr Masson and his family. |
| Mr Masson said: "He made a mistake, I forgive him for that. | Mr Masson said: "He made a mistake, I forgive him for that. |
| "You [Mr Lewis] showed sincerity and remorse - you've got to live with that the same as I have to live with it. | "You [Mr Lewis] showed sincerity and remorse - you've got to live with that the same as I have to live with it. |
| "It's been nice to meet him with everything that's happened, I've got some closure for what's happened and I think he has also. | "It's been nice to meet him with everything that's happened, I've got some closure for what's happened and I think he has also. |
| "I class him as a friend now." | "I class him as a friend now." |
| BBC Inside Out's film of Dave Lewis and George Masson's story will be shown on BBC One on Monday, 29 October at 19:30 GMT | BBC Inside Out's film of Dave Lewis and George Masson's story will be shown on BBC One on Monday, 29 October at 19:30 GMT |