Ken BanksNorth east Scotland reporter, Aberdeen
A fatal accident inquiry into a train derailment which killed three men in the north east of Scotland is due to begin.
The Aberdeen to Glasgow train came off the rails at Carmont in Aberdeenshire on 12 August 2020 after it hit a landslide following heavy rain.
Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash. Network Rail was later fined £6.7m in court for a series of failings.
The inquiry in Aberdeen – which is expected to last between three and four weeks – is due to get under way from 11:00.
PA MediaDuring the court case in 2023, Network Rail admitted a number of maintenance and inspection failures before the crash.
It also admitted failing to warn the driver that part of the track was unsafe, or tell him to reduce his speed.
At the High Court in Aberdeen, Lord Matthews said no penalty could compensate for the loss suffered by the families of those who died and the people injured.
Law firm Digby Brown later said that a total of nearly £1m in civil actions against Network Rail had been settled.
Why did the train derail?
The train hit a landslide near Stonehaven after heavy rain in an area where a drainage system had been incorrectly installed.
The 06:38 service to Glasgow had been unable to complete its journey due to the conditions.
It was returning to Aberdeen when the accident happened.
A recording of the driver showed he queried with a signaller if any reduced speed was needed to return north.
RAIBHe was told everything was fine for normal speed, so he continued to accelerate the train towards 75mph – the maximum permitted speed at the accident site.
As the signaller was not aware of any obstruction on the line, railway rules did not require him to instruct the driver to travel at a speed slower than the maximum normally permitted.
Data from the on-train data recorder (OTDR) showed it was travelling at about 73mph as it approached the washout debris at Carmont.
The train struck debris from a landslide on the track, derailed, and collided with a bridge parapet.
The FAI itself will be held in the civil annexe of Aberdeen Sheriff Court, before Sheriff Lesley Johnston.
Several rooms will be used to accommodate a large number of legal representatives, as well as relatives of those involved, the media, and members of the public.
Initial court time has been set aside for the next three weeks.
There will also be later closing submissions, which will be done remotely.
Aslef, the train drivers union, welcomed the start of the FAI.
Scottish organiser Kevin Lindsay said: “We hope and expect that this FAI establishes all the facts and helps ensure that no family goes through the pain endured by those closest to Christopher, Donald and Brett.”
