WORKERS who maintain Britain’s rail network are 10 times more likely to be injured at work than those in other heavy industries, the head of Network Rail admitted yesterday.

The confession came from Mark Carne, chief executive of the publicly accountable company responsible for rail maintenance.

Addressing an audience of rail industry bosses, Mr Carne said: “While our passenger safety performance is the best in Europe, about 600 railway workers a year — employees and contractors — are injured to the extent that they cannot return to work the next day.”

He said pressure to finish work quickly had led managers to “send signals that suggest we don’t care as deeply as we could about our workforce and their safety and health.”

He also blamed a “macho culture” in the industry.

Rail union RMT said that it had warned repeatedly about the effect on safety of staff cuts and casualisation.

General secretary Mick Cash said: “The safety culture on Network Rail has been diluted by savage cuts to staffing and the proliferation of agencies and contractors which has led to casualisation of safety-critical work and a surge in staff on zero-hours contracts.

“Those warnings have come home to roost with a vengeance in these shocking figures.”

Mr Cash demanded action from the Network Rail boss.

“For starters he needs to halt the cuts and end the fragmentation and casualisation by bringing all works back in house,” he said.

He said failure to act would mean continuing deaths and injury.