Train crash inquiry hears signaller was 'entirely compliant'

A signaller who told a train driver to go at normal speed just minutes before a fatal derailment was "entirely compliant" with the rules in place at the time, an inquiry has heard.

The Aberdeen to Glasgow train came off the rails at Carmont in Aberdeenshire on 12 August 2020, after it hit debris washed from a drain following heavy rain.

Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash. Network Rail was later fined £6.7m in court for a series of failings.

The fourth day of a fatal accident inquiry heard evidence that the signaller had followed Network Rail's "rulebook".

The inquiry earlier heard that the accident happened after a once-in-a-century level of rainfall in the area in a short space of time.

The train had just passed what would become the crash site when the driver was told to stop and return to Stonehaven due to a landslip on the line ahead.

When the driver asked the signaller if there was any speed restriction in place, he was told it was "fine" to proceed at the line speed of 75pmh.

The train was travelling at about 73mph when it crashed a few minutes later.

Network Rail Scotland route director Ross Moran had been working as head of operations delivery at the time of the accident.

He told the inquiry on Thursday: "The rulebook is the safety gospel as to how the network operates, and it's predicated entirely on operating the network as safely as possible.

"In my opinion, the signaller on the day entirely complied with the rulebook."

Paul Ashton, who had been head of operations, principles and standards at the time of the crash, said Network Rail has since made substantial changes.

These included the way it monitored and responded to weather events, and its decision-making model.

He also said a clause has been added to the rulebook that "allows us to do things other than what's prescribed in the rulebook, mainly if there's a gap, or if applying the rule makes it less safe".

The train hit debris after heavy rain in an area where a drainage system had been incorrectly installed.

During the court case in 2023, Network Rail admitted a number of maintenance and inspection failures before the crash.

It also admitted failing to warn the driver that part of the track was unsafe, or tell him to reduce his speed.

The inquiry began in Aberdeen on Monday before Sheriff Lesley Johnston and is expected to last about three weeks.