The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Casualty remains ‘stable’ in hospital after rail crash
Community rallied round to offer help after train derailment which killed three
The person who remains in hospital after the devastating Stonehaven train crash last week is in a “stable condition”.
Several people were injured and rushed to hospital after the derailment – in which three people were killed – and have been discharged over the course of the last week.
Yesterday, an NHS Grampian spokesman said: “One patient remains in hospital following the major incident last week. They are in a stable condition.”
Meanwhile, there is still no timetable for the removal of the stricken carriages and the rail line remains closed.
Currently, a bus service is available for passengers.
Staff from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) remained on scene yesterday as they examined debris to help piece together what happened.
Last night, a Network Rail spokesman said: “The RAIB is continuing its investigation on site. Once those investigations have concluded we will begin the process to recover the carriages and assess the repairs required to the railway.
“We cannot give exact timescales for those activities at the moment and the focus remains on supporting the investigators as they carry out their work.”
UK Transport Minister Grant Shapps has asked Network Rail to produce an interim report on the derailment by September 1.
Network Rail said it would carry out inspections of high-risk trackside slopes with similar characteristics to the site of the Aberdeenshire crash, which killed driver Brett Mccullough and conductor Donald Dinnie. Former Blairgowrie man Christopher Stuchbury, a Rosyth tug boat master, was a passenger and also died.
The initial report by RAIB said the train turned back towards Aberdeen after reports of a landslip further down the track. Wednesday’s 6.38am Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service subsequently destroyed a barrier on the edge of a bridge, leading the front power car and a carriage to fall down an embankment between Carmont and Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire.
Last week, RAIB explained that factors still likely to be taken into account include the actions of the people involved, recent inspections of drainage and earthworks in the area, management of the risks of extreme weather, and actions taken in response to previous recommendations on safety.
“We are a close-knit community and when this tragic event happened, many people were keen to help. LOUISE MALCOLM
The local community has been explaining how they helped in the aftermath of the crash.
Arbuthnott resident Louise Malcolm approached her local shop, the Scotmid in Laurencekirk, to discuss what they could do to support the emergency services at Carmont.
Staff gathered bottled water and a variety of snacks – such as biscuits and crisps – which she then distributed to police officers, paramedics, firefighters and others.
Mrs Malcom, a self-employed photographer, said the heat of the day had been at the forefront of her mind.
The 36-year-old added: “We are a close-knit community and when this tragic event happened, many people were keen to help.”
Later in the day, Mrs Malcolm got in touch with the Alma restaurant in Laurencekirk – which provided nearly 20 curries for emergency services workers.
Many other food outlets also got involved in doing what they could.
Cool Gourmet, in Stonehaven, was asked to do catering for the emergency services workers and did so “without hesitation”, and other local businesses to help included Mchardy’s the Butcher, Westerton Farmers, The Villa and Goodfellows.