The insurance industry has welcomed the government's announcement of plans to overhaul the UK's rail network, but has warned that rail-related insurance premiums will continue to rise.
A spokesman for St Paul Insurance, the insurer of the Thames train involved in the Paddington rail crash said: "As the pre-eminent insurer of train companies, we welcome every additional investment wholeheartedly.
"The fact that there is further investment should lead to a safer rail network."
But he added that rail companies were unlikely to see a decrease in insurance premiums for some time.
"Premiums are set to increase annually for the foreseeable future because of the hardening insurance market," he said.
The Rail Authority's ten-year strategic plan includes new safety measures, such as a Train Protection Warning System to prevent trains going through danger signals.
The 30-year-old slam door trains will also be replaced and new trains will be longer to prevent overcrowding.
