Derailment near Oban - Sun 06 Jun 2010

[whole diary]

[inspector_blakey]

Breaking news (at 2144) on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) website reporting a derailment near Oban, no serious injuries fortunately. Full story here.

Sounds like a strange incident - derailed trains don't usually catch fire, despite what the movies might have you believe.

[JayMac]

Caught me mid-post there blakey. Was just posting the same BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) story. Glad to see there are no serious injuries.

[JayMac]

Mere speculation, but I'm wondering whether a rockslide maybe to blame? That might explain a derailment followed by fire - pierced diesel tank perhaps?

Although that stretch of line is protected by a unique to the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) signalling/warning system:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_of_Brander_stone_signals

http://www.railsigns.co.uk/info/stonesig1/stonesig1.html

[LiskeardRich]

Sky news is reporting the train hit a large boulder, sorry I can't post link as on my iPhone and havent worked copy and paste out on it yet!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for that, richwarwicker!

See http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Oban-Train-Derails-Near-Falls-Of-Cruachan-Scotland/Article/201006115644604?f=rss 

[JayMac]

Updated details from The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Eight hospitalised as Glasgow to Oban train derails

Eight people have been taken to hospital after a train derailed, leaving its two carriages "precariously balanced" over a 15-metre embankment.

Both carriages of the Glasgow to Oban train caught fire near the Falls of Cruachan power station by Loch Awe, Argyll and Bute, on Sunday night.

Police said no-one had been seriously hurt, although many of those injured were described as "walking wounded".

All the estimated 60 passengers on the train were removed safely.

Police said two of those hurt have minor spinal injuries.

In a statement, police said eight people were taken to three different hospitals. None of their injuries were thought to be life-threatening. Two of the wounded had minor spinal injuries. An ambulance service spokesman said soon after the derailment: "There's quite a lot of walking wounded. There's a couple of bumps to necks and backs and things like that." Those needing treatment were taken to hospitals in Glasgow, Oban and Lochgilphead. The remaining passengers were taken on to Oban, a joint statement by the Strathclyde and British Transport Police said.

Ambulance and MoD helicopters were also called to the scene because of the remoteness of the area.

One witness reported that the train had shuddered to a halt and caught fire in the incident, which which happened shortly before 2100 BST.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: "The train involved was the 1820 hours Glasgow Queen Street to Oban service. This is a two-car train and the leading car has derailed and caught fire. All passengers have been safely taken off the train, but the leading car remains overhanging the road."

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service said there was a "major deployment of fire crews and appliances".

A spokesman for the train operator ScotRail said: "An investigation is already under way into the cause of the incident by appropriate agencies and industry partners."

The A85 is closed at the junction with the A819, but there is still access to Loch Awe village, police said. The A85 is also closed at the junction with the A828.

[JayMac]

The accompanying story is a tad sensationalist for my tastes, but The Scottish Sun has a picture of the derailed train:

Details here...
 
...and the Sky News story has been updated with pictures of the derailed train.

[IndustryInsider]

The accompanying story is a tad sensationalist for my tastes...

Blimey, you're not kidding!  I'm always slightly amused/perplexed when people like Caitlin O Ceallaigh-Walker are quoted as saying she believes they were 'saved' due to praying that morning.  Whilst I don't want to in any way criticise people for having faith, I'm sure that some people on the train didn't and still managed to somehow survive!

[Tim]

Wow! good to know that none of the injuries are life threatening.  I have used the Falls of Cruachan station myself a couple of times (and I survived despite having never had any belief in the supernatural) and the terain would certainly suggest a rock fall as a possibility.  The stone signals are fascinating but having had a look at some of them from the path along sidethe track and from the foot crossing just west of the station I wouldn't regard them as fool-proof. 

Essentailly they are semiphore signals held in the "proceed" position by tensioned wires.  If a rockfall snaps the wires the signal drops into the "danger" position.   They are simple and failsafe but in a rather knackered state and they rely on a rockfall hitting a wire which isn't guarenteed as there are placed where rocks could slip under the wires.  I am sure (I hope) that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) does not regard them as in any way a subsitute for proper cliff stabilisationan and line inspections. 

[TerminalJunkie]

Video of the scene here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/10253725.stm
and here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/10253245.stm

[TerminalJunkie]

This is a bit annoying though:

Because of this, the following alterations will apply until further notice:

    * Trains are not able to run between Crianlarich and Oban
    * Buses will run between Glasgow Queen Street and Oban, not calling at any other stations
    * Direct buses will also run between Crianlarich and Oban

Passengers wishing to travel to stations between Crianlarich and Oban should make alternative travel arrangements.

So much for my trip to Taynuilt next week...

[Tim]

Passengers wishing to travel to stations between Crianlarich and Oban should make alternative travel arrangements.

So much for my trip to Taynuilt next week...
[/quote]

sorry to hear about that.  Before you give up on your trip check out the Scottish Citylink buses.  IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), they run a comparable (actually slightly faster) service to Oban a few times a day.  Of course any bus service relies on the road below the railway (A55) being open which I fear might not be for some time.  On the one hand it is a mjor route in an area with few alternatives so there will be pressure to reopen it quickly.  On the other hand I imagine that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) engineers are at this moment selecting a suitable position on the road to set up their cranes to lift the unit down.  It will not be an easy recovery operation. 

[TerminalJunkie]

Of course any bus service relies on the road below the railway (A55) being open which I fear might not be for some time.

These buses go the long way round, do they? Or did you mean the A85?

[Chris from Nailsea]

According to the map in the Scottish Sun article, the rail route is the A85.

... and:

Police and rail bosses have launched an investigation into the near miss on the popular tourist line.

 

[JayMac]

You could argue it was a 'near miss'.

The train hit a boulder, nearly missing it!