Nearly two years after the Potters Bar rail disaster, Jarvis and Network Rail have admitted liability.

The head of Jarvis Rail, which maintained the points that broke when an express train went across them, said "sorry" for the first time on behalf of the company.

John Armitt, chief executive of the state-backed infrastructure firm Network Rail, said he wanted to restate an apology made immediately after the tragedy.

Meanwhile rail chiefs have managed to cut the costs of the troubled West Coast Main Line route redevelopment from £10 billion to £7.6 billion.