Stonehaven Rail Crash Inquiry Hears Modern Safety Features Could Have Improved Outcome
An official inquiry into the devastating Stonehaven rail crash has heard compelling evidence that the tragic outcome would "more likely than not" have been better if the train involved had been equipped with contemporary safety features. The fatal incident, which occurred during severe weather conditions, has raised significant questions about the safety standards of older rolling stock still in service across Britain's railway network.
The Catastrophic Derailment at Carmont
The train derailed at Carmont near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire on 12 August 2020 after striking a substantial pile of gravel that had been washed onto the railway track by torrential rainfall. The impact caused the train to subsequently collide with a bridge parapet, resulting in a catastrophic sequence of events.
Tragically, three of the nine people aboard lost their lives in the incident: train driver Brett McCullough, 45; conductor Donald Dinnie, 58; and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62. The fatal accident inquiry (FAI) at Aberdeen Sheriff Court has been examining the circumstances surrounding this devastating event.
Ageing Rolling Stock and Missing Safety Features
The inquiry heard that the train consisted of mark 3 high speed train (HST) coaches, originally constructed by British Rail during the 1970s. Dominique Louis, a principal inspector at the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), provided detailed testimony about the safety shortcomings of these approximately 50-year-old carriages.
"The RAIB considers it more likely than not that the outcome would have been better if the train had been compliant with modern crashworthiness standards," Mr Louis told the inquiry.
He highlighted several critical safety features absent from the older coaches:
- Anti-climb devices designed to prevent one coach riding over another during collisions
- Energy-absorbing vehicle ends including crumple zones to dissipate impact forces
- Modern coupler designs capable of withstanding greater collision forces
- Bogie retention systems to prevent vehicle bodies separating from their wheeled chassis
How Safety Features Might Have Changed the Outcome
Mr Louis explained that the absence of these features contributed significantly to the severity of the crash. Without anti-climb devices, coach D "overrode" the lead power car, causing what he described as a "complete loss of survival space" that resulted in conductor Donald Dinnie's death.
The older couplers proved inadequate during the collision, causing the train to break apart. "All the vehicles became uncoupled except at the interface of coach A and the trailing power car," Mr Louis stated. "That allowed the vehicle to scatter and roll over. That increased the risk of secondary impacts."
Furthermore, the lack of bogie retention meant the five-tonne wheeled chassis were free to "slide and roll around in an uncontrolled manner" during the derailment, contributing to the extensive scattering of wreckage at the accident site.
Corrosion Concerns and Additional Factors
The inquiry also heard concerning evidence about corrosion discovered in several areas damaged during the crash. Metallurgical analysis revealed that steel plates in coach D, which should have been 5mm thick, had been reduced to just 3-3.5mm through corrosion, despite repairs having been conducted in 2019.
"It is undeniable that loss of material due to corrosion of the pillars would have weakened the body-end structure to some extent," Mr Louis acknowledged, though he noted investigators couldn't determine whether the original pillar strength would have prevented the fatal loss of survival space.
Additional testimony revealed that two fires broke out following the collision, though RAIB inspector Mark Hamilton explained these posed no risk to human life since nobody remained trapped inside the train. The inquiry previously heard that the death toll would have been "almost certainly" higher had the train been operating at normal capacity rather than during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, which had reduced passenger numbers by approximately 65% across the network.
Aftermath and Ongoing Safety Improvements
Network Rail faced criminal prosecution over the incident, resulting in a £6.7 million fine in 2023 after admitting health and safety failings. A Network Rail spokesperson stated the government-owned company remains "committed to supporting the work of the inquiry and continuing to deliver on the recommendations made by RAIB."
"We've made significant changes to how we manage the risk of severe weather since the accident and our work to make our network more resilient will continue," the spokesperson added.
The fatal accident inquiry before Sheriff Lesley Johnson continues its examination of this tragic event that has highlighted critical questions about railway safety standards and the continued operation of older rolling stock on Britain's rail network.
