An Essex commuter group is praising action taken to solve a notorious 'signal passed at danger' problem on Chelmsford's rail line.

Last year shock government figures showed a red signal at Shenfield's Great Eastern Railway station had been passed at danger more than any other on the railway network - bar one.

But now Mr David Bigg, head of the Braintree and Witham Rail Users Association, says that he is "very satisfied" with engineering action taken by Railtrack to make the signal safer.

"They have blanketed off undergrowth and put in countdown markers and made the whole thing much more apparent - it's excellent," he said.

Railtrack said they were: "Encouraged by this rare accolade from Mr Bigg."

Last autumn Mr Bigg had harsh words for the Health and Safety Executive and the rail operators for the public being unaware, until the Ladbroke Grove crash last year, of how widespread passing signals at danger had been.

Railtrack say they have also re-engineered signal 'L100' at Bethnal Green, at the junction between the Cambridge and Norwich main lines on the approach to Liverpool Street.

"There were reports based on old information in the Sunday papers which are inaccurate now, a great deal of work has been done," says Railtrack.

After the Ladbroke Grove crash Mr Bigg said: ''Much faith has been lost among passengers and public confidence needs to be restored quickly and if that means automatic train protection is fitted to make trains stop if they exceed a red light then that investment must be made. Passengers will accept no less."

The Shenfield signal, L487, was checked by engineers last year and recommendations resulted in the changes made. There have been no 'passes' since December 1998, says Railtrack.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.