5 publishers · first seen Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:30 UTC · updated Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:01 UTC
A fatal accident inquiry has found that a train derailment that killed three people in 2020 could have been avoided if a drain had been built correctly. Train 1T08 derailed at Carmont, near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, after hitting debris washed from the drain onto the track by heavy rain. The inquiry, led by Sheriff Lesley Johnson, concluded that the derailment could have been prevented if construction firm Carillion had built the drain in accordance with the design it had been given. The sheriff found that the drain had deviated from the design in several respects, including issues with piping, materials, and the addition of a 'bund' that prevented it from working as intended. Network Rail, which failed to ensure the drain was constructed properly, was fined £6.7 million in 2023 after admitting health and safety failings. Carillion went into compulsory liquidation in January 2018.
The inquiry heard that the train, which was travelling at around 73mph, struck the 'washout' from the drain at about 9.37am on August 12, 2020.
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