Fatal Stonehaven train derailment could have been avoided if drain built correctly, says sheriff

A train derailment which resulted in the deaths of three men could have been avoided if a drain had been built correctly, a sheriff has concluded. Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash at Carmont, near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, in August 2020.

After a fatal accident inquiry (FAI), Sheriff Lesley Johnston said it was not constructed and installed in accordance with its design, and found there were precautions which could have been taken which "might realistically have avoided the accident". It follows the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) making 20 safety recommendations in its report back in 2022 into the crash.

The FAI, held in Aberdeen earlier this year, heard the rail network was now better prepared for the risks of extreme weather than when the train derailed. It admitted a number of maintenance and inspection failures before the crash, as well as failing to warn the driver that part of the track was unsafe, or tell him to reduce his speed.