HST derailment, near Stonehaven, 12th August 2020

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Thanks for the information. I believed that the police only investigated if there was a suspicion of crime, and not as a matter of routine for any fatal accident.

The police will always be involved in a fatal accident of any kind, if only to make sure that no foul play was involved before letting the appropriate experts - fire, RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch), AAIB^▸ (Air Accident Investigation Branch), Health and Safety Executive, whoever - get on with their own investigation. There is seldom an accident with a single cause, and any one of the pieces that add up to the whole thing could have involve criminal action or inaction.

[paul7575]

I think there was a question about who’s responsibility it was at Carmont, with some debate at the time about the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) being sidelined.  But I also think Scottish fatal accident law is perhaps different to English law, and as I’m no expert maybe others can chip in?

[broadgage]

Network rail to be prosecuted over Stonehaven accident.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65017289

[TaplowGreen]

.

[TaplowGreen]

Network rail to be prosecuted over Stonehaven accident.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65017289

A huge fine for Network Rail in respect of their fatal errors in this incident......but given that they are nationalised, who pays the fine? (Ultimately the taxpayer I guess?) And to whom?

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News - Stonehaven crash: Network Rail fined £6.7m over fatal derailment
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66749546

[grahame]

Network rail to be prosecuted over Stonehaven accident.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65017289

A huge fine for Network Rail in respect of their fatal errors in this incident......but given that they are nationalised, who pays the fine? (Ultimately the taxpayer I guess?) And to whom?

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News - Stonehaven crash: Network Rail fined £6.7m over fatal derailment
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66749546

It's a hugely awkward question.   I find myself wondering if the effect is to pull nearly £7 million out of the rail budget / industry and pass it to the Treasury. It's not compensation to the people effected, is it?  Nor will it come out of the pockets of managers who got it wrong or shareholders or directors.   But then  "Network Rail" - in whatever guise they are represented - cannot be a law unto themselves and consequences need to be there.

[Electric train]

Network rail to be prosecuted over Stonehaven accident.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65017289

A huge fine for Network Rail in respect of their fatal errors in this incident......but given that they are nationalised, who pays the fine? (Ultimately the taxpayer I guess?) And to whom?

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News - Stonehaven crash: Network Rail fined £6.7m over fatal derailment
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66749546

It's a hugely awkward question.   I find myself wondering if the effect is to pull nearly £7 million out of the rail budget / industry and pass it to the Treasury. It's not compensation to the people effected, is it?  Nor will it come out of the pockets of managers who got it wrong or shareholders or directors.   But then  "Network Rail" - in whatever guise they are represented - cannot be a law unto themselves and consequences need to be there.

Fines paid by NR^» (Network Rail - home page) come out of its overall budget, the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) will still expect NR to continue to fund renewals and to operate the system normally.  In other words it has to find the money internally.

There has been a very high level internal investigation into the root cause, as a result investments in other assets have been diverted into the Geotech assets