Network Rail fined £10,000 over Lamington failures

Scotland’s Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has prosecuted Network Rail for allowing trains to travel at more than 100mph over the stormdamaged Lamington Viaduct in 2015.

NR allowed several trains to cross the structure before realising it had been damaged, and eventually closed it for seven weeks for repairs. The infrastructure manager was fined £10,000 after pleading guilty to an offence under health and safety law.

HM Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser said: “We welcome this outcome by the Crown Office. Our investigation revealed that Network Rail staff were unaware that they held safety-critical duties under Network Rail’s processes to manage infrastructure during extreme weather.

“The viaduct was on Network Rail’s list of high-risk structures vulnerable to being washed away by moving water. Yet despite this being a known issue, severe damage went unrecognised because Network Rail failed to implement its own procedures which would have meant no passenger trains should have passed over the viaduct.

“This verdict should be a reminder to Network Rail, as it progresses plans led by its two new task forces, that it must continue to acknowledge and act to guard against the serious impact of severe weather on infrastructure.”