Train derailment at Stonehaven

[wayne71]

i've only seen a bit on the news and it looked like the track was flooded which begs the question why there's a train running in such shit conditions?

Railway rules and procedures allow trains to run when the track is flooded to a certain depth providing the water isn't running. However trains are stopped if there is any report of a landslide or washaway until inspected by earthworks/structural engineers.

Im only guessing that there had been no previous reports of a landslide and this was the first train through after it had occurred. If there had been any previous reports and nothing was done then there would be serious reprocussions for anyone involved.

The railway is under constant threat from the weather. Buckled rails/derailments when its hot. Damaged overhead lines when its windy, leaves on the track causing braking and adhesion problems in autumn, landslides/flooding during heavy rain and even ice forming in tunnels cause major issues.

The rules and procedures help manage the risks but occasionally these things will unfortunately occur.

My thoughts go out to those affected.

 

[mat]

Awful. Anyone dead is just dreadful. People went out to work today and aren't coming back. Can they not do anything more to make these "rural" lines less subject to landslides etc? Once again the news over the last few days has highlighted how extreme weather events are becoming more prevalent - we are spaffing wads on HS2 can we not make such lines as this safer?

Some of them were prevented by trees where the roots literally kept it all together having been embedded in them for years. Network Rail went on a national programme of removing them because of the issues with leaf mulch on tracks leading to poor rail adhesion.


It bit them on the arse a few time including a place near me called gonerby,just outside of Grantham, which I was reminded it was exactly a year to the day that occurred, but this is the first fatal one in years.

 

[bennyboy]

Mate told me the Sun went with the headline Death Express.
Horrible paper.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Mate told me the Sun went with the headline Death Express.
Horrible paper.

They have, including in the Scottish Sun.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

what I don't get based on the limited information, is if he was going back whence he came, the landslide had to have happened between him going past and coming back, otherwise they've hit something they should have seen on the trip past?

I guess it will come out in the investigation, but it's left me all a bit puzzled.

 

[RadcliffeRick]

They have, including in the Scottish Sun.

Scottish sun. Does it exist?

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Scottish sun. Does it exist?

Third Wednesday in July. About 2 pm.