The
derailment


of
a
ScotRail
HST
at
Carmont,
near
Stonehaven
in
north
east
Scotland,
was
caused
by
Network
Rail’s
failures
to
impose
a
speed
restriction
and
to
maintain
an
embankment
drain
properly,
a
court
has
been
told.

The
derailment
on
12
August
2020,
in
which
three
people
lost
their
lives,
happened
after
a
Glasgow-bound
train
had
been
reversed
at
Carmont
signal
box
because
of
another
landslide
further
up
the
line,
after
several
hours
of
very
heavy
rain.

The
HST
was
returning
to
Aberdeen
when
it
collided
with
debris
on
the
track
and
struck
a
bridge
parapet.
Some
of
the
vehicles
overturned
down
an
embankment
and
a
fire
broke
out
in
one
of
them,
the
leading
power
car.
The
crash
claimed
the
lives
of
45-year
old
driver
Brett
McCullough,
58-year
old
conductor
Donald
Dinnie
and
62-year
old
passenger
Christopher
Stuchbury.
Six
people
were
hurt.

The
High
Court
in
Aberdeen
was
told
on
7
September
that
the
drain
had
been
built
by
contractor
Carillion,
which
has
since
ceased
trading,
but
Network
Rail
had
not
made
sure
it
was
constructed
properly.
It
had
also
failed
to
have
a
handover
meeting
with
Carillion
after
the
work
had
been
done,
and
did
not
have
a
proper
system
for
dealing
with
the
effects
of
bad
weather.
The
Met
Office
had
issued
an
amber
‘severe
weather’
warning
for
the
area
the
day
before.

Prosecutor
Alex
Prentice
KC
told
the
court:
‘Network
Rail
cooperated
fully
with
the
investigation,
and
from
the
outset
were
clear
that
this
case
would
result
in
a
guilty
plea.’

Network
Rail
admitted
two
breaches
of
the
Health
and
Safety
at
Work
etc
Act
1974,
and
was
fined
£6,700,000.

In
a
statement
last
night,
Network
Rail
Scotland
managing
director
Alex
Hynes
said:
‘The
Carmont
derailment
and
the
tragic
loss
of
Christopher
Stuchbury,
Donald Dinnie
and
Brett
McCullough
was
a
terrible
day
for
their
families,
everyone
involved,
and
for
the
railway
network.

‘It
is
clear
that
our
infrastructure
was
at
fault
for
the
accident,
so
it
is
right
that
Network
Rail
pled
guilty.

‘To
the
families
of
those
who
lost
their
lives
we
would
say
again
how
deeply
sorry
we
are
that
this
tragedy
was
able
to
happen.
And
to
those
survivors
who
were injured,
we
are
very
sorry
for
the
pain
and
distress
caused.

‘Since
the
accident,
we
have
been
working
hard
to
make
our
railway
safer
and
to
learn
the
lessons
of
Carmont.

‘We
are
absolutely
committed
to
delivering
on
the
recommendations
made
by
the
Rail
Accident
Investigation
Branch
in
its
report
into
the
accident.’

The
Crown
Office
and
Procurator
Fiscal
Service
said
it
will
now
‘begin
the
process
for
a
Fatal
Accident
Inquiry
to
examine
the
full
circumstances
surrounding
these
deaths,
identify
the
lessons
that
can
be
learned
and
help
to
avoid
such
incidents
happening
in
the
future’.