I WANT to begin by remembering the 31 people who lost their lives, the families and friends they left behind, and the considerable number of other people who were seriously injured as a result of the collision of two trains at Ladbroke Grove, London. None of us should forget that for the families and friends of those lost or seriously injured, every day of their life has been impacted. In recalling the events on the accident's 20th anniversary, I do so with the utmost respect to the lives lost, the survivors and the memories and feelings of those affected. The story of the tragic events of October 5, 1999, does not start on that date, but 10 years before, in 1989, when a scheme was approved by British Rail's Board to modernise the track layout between Ladbroke Grove and London Paddington. The reasons for these changes were the needs of the increasingly successful InterCity main line and Network South-East services. Together with a proposed rail link with Heathrow Airport and a servicing depot for the Eurostar International service, there were several elements to consider.
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