Report 02/2022: Derailment of a passenger train at Carmont

02/2022 Synopsis March 2022 Synopsis Derailment of a passenger train at Carmont, Aberdeenshire 12 August 2020 02/2022 Synopsis Carmont 2March 2022 This page is intentionally left blank This investigation was carried out in accordance with: z the Railway Safety Directive 2004/49/EC z the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 z the Railways (Accident Investigation and Reporting) Regulations 2005. � Crown copyright 2022 You may re-use this document/publication (not including departmental or agency logos) free of charge in any format or medium. You must re-use it accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and you must give the title of the source publication. :KHUHZHKDYHLGHQWL�HGDQ\WKLUGSDUW\FRS\ULJKWPDWHULDO\RXZLOOQHHGWRREWDLQSHUPLVVLRQIURPWKH copyright holders concerned. This document/publication is also available at www.gov.uk/raib. Any enquiries about this publication should be sent to: RAIB Email: enquiries@raib.gov.uk The Wharf Telephone: 01332 253300 Stores Road Website: www.gov.uk/raib Derby UK DE21 4BA This report is published by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department for Transport. This is a synopsis of the full RAIB report available at www.gov.uk/raib Paragraph references in this synopsis, unless prefixed ‘S’, refer to paragraphs in the full report. VersionDate Location of change(s)Description of change v1.0 10 March 2022 All Initial issue Report 02/2022 Carmont March 2022 Preface The purpose of a Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) investigation is to improve railway safety by preventing future railway accidents or by mitigating their consequences. It is not the purpose of such an investigation to establish blame or liability. Accordingly, it is inappropriate that RAIB reports should be used to assign fault or blame, or determine liability, since neither the investigation nor the reporting process has been undertaken for that purpose. RAIB’s findings are based on its own evaluation of the evidence that was available at the time of the investigation and are intended to explain what happened, and why, in a fair and unbiased manner. Where RAIB has described a factor as being linked to cause and the term is unqualified, this means that RAIB has satisfied itself that the evidence supports both the presence of the factor and its direct relevance to the causation of the accident or incident that is being investigated. However, where RAIB is less confident about the existence of a factor, or its role in the causation of the accident or incident, RAIB will qualify its findings by use of words such as ‘probable’ or ‘possible’, as appropriate. Where there is more than one potential explanation RAIB may describe one factor as being ‘more’ or ‘less’ likely than the other. In some cases factors are described as ‘underlying’. Such factors are also relevant to the causation of the accident or incident but are associated with the underlying management arrangements or organisational issues (such as working culture). Where necessary, words such as ‘probable’ or ‘possible’ can also be used to qualify ‘underlying factor’. Use of the word ‘probable’ means that, although it is considered highly likely that the factor applied, some small element of uncertainty remains. Use of the word ‘possible’ means that, although there is some evidence that supports this factor, there remains a more significant degree of uncertainty. An ‘observation’ is a safety issue discovered as part of the investigation that is not considered to be causal or underlying to the accident or incident being investigated, but does deserve scrutiny because of a perceived potential for safety learning. The above terms are intended to assist readers’ interpretation of the report, and to provide suitable explanations where uncertainty remains. The report should therefore be interpreted as the view of RAIB, expressed with the sole purpose of improving railway safety. Any information about casualties is based on figures provided to RAIB from various sources. Considerations of personal privacy may mean that not all of the actual effects of the event are recorded in the report. RAIB recognises that sudden unexpected events can have both short- and long-term consequences for the physical and/ or mental health of people who were involved, both directly and indirectly, in what happened. RAIB’s investigation (including its scope, methods, conclusions and recommendations) is independent of any inquest or fatal accident inquiry, and all other investigations, including those carried out by the safety authority, police or railway industry. 02/2022 Synopsis Carmont 6March 2022 Synopsis The accident S1 At around 09:37 hrs on Wednesday 12 August 2020, a passenger train collided with debris washed from a drain onto the track near Carmont, Aberdeenshire, following very heavy rainfall. The train, reporting number 1T08, was the 06:38 hrs service from Aberdeen to Glasgow, which was returning towards Aberdeen due to a blockage that had been reported on the line ahead. There were nine people on board, six passengers and three railway employees (one of whom was travelling as a passenger). S2 Train 1T08 was travelling at 73 mph (117 km/h), just below the normal speed for the line concerned. The collision caused the train to derail and deviate to the left, before striking a bridge parapet which caused the vehicles to scatter. Tragically, three people died as a result of the accident: a) the conductor, Donald Dinnie b) the train driver, Brett McCullough c) a passenger, Christopher Stuchbury. S3 The remaining six people on the train were injured. The aftermath of the accident (image taken on 13 August 2020) 02/2022 Synopsis Carmont 7March 2022 Right railLeft rail Sleeper 0 Direction of travel What was the immediate cause of the derailment? S4 Train 1T08 derailed because it struck debris washed out from a 15 metre length of steeply sloping drainage trench. This is evidenced by CCTV images from the train, grooves cut through the debris, the absence of derailment marks on the track on the approach to the debris and marks indicating that the leading wheelset had derailed immediately after the debris field. S5 The debris mainly comprised gravel with some cobbles and covered the down line for a length of about 10 metres. Estimates made by RAIB after the derailment indicate the maximum depth of debris on the left and right railheads was probably around 170 mm and 135 mm respectively before the train ran through it. [for details see paragraphs 72 to 81] Washout debris covering the track How was the accident investigated? S6 The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) deployed investigators to the site of the accident to commence a full investigation of the circumstances. RAIB is the UK’s body tasked with the independent and expert investigation of rail accidents. RAIB was created by Act of Parliament in 2003 and has extensive legal powers to enable it to perform this role. The RAIB’s sole objective is to identify the factors that led to the accident and to make recommendations for the improvement of railway safety. S7 In addition to the investigation by RAIB, parallel investigations are being undertaken by Police Scotland, in conjunction with the British Transport Police; and the UK’s rail safety regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). 02/2022 Synopsis Carmont 8March 2022 The drainage system S8 The source of the debris that caused the derailment at Carmont was a ‘french drain’ and the ground immediately surrounding it. This drain had been installed during 2011 and 2012 (the 2011/12 drain) as part of a wider scheme to address a known problem with the stability of the earthworks in this locality. This drain comprised a 450 millimetre (approximately 18 inch) diameter perforated p

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