ScotRail train hit fallen tree at 84mph after warning call went unanswered

A train driver narrowly escaped injury after warnings about a fallen tree on a railway line failed to reach him before an 84mph crash in Dundee.

The ScotRail train travelling between Perth and Aberdeen collided with a fallen tree near Broughty Ferry around 1.10pm on December 27 last year.

A member of the public who had spotted the tree on the line contacted Network Rail to raise the alarm around 12 minutes before the crash.

An investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) found that the call handler attempting to pass the information on to the operator’s route control was unable to get through, and the call went unanswered until after the accident.

The train was travelling around 84mph when the collision occurred, with the driver unable to see the hazard due to heavy rain and only applying the emergency brake two seconds before impact.

Damage to the driver's cab at Broughty Ferry, Dundee — Damage to the driver’s cab at Broughty Ferry, Dundee RAIB

The tree stem entered the cab area around the driver’s eye level, passed through the pillars on either side of the windscreen and cut through the body of the cab, window and driver’s door.

The driver was only able to escape injury by crouching behind the driving seat after applying the emergency brake and realising the crash was inevitable.

He was left showered in glass and other debris and was unable to reach the radio to make an emergency call.

Fallen tree at Broughty Ferry, Dundee RAIB

There were no physical injuries to the 37 passengers and three staff members on board.

The RAIB investigation found that the tree had fallen from Barnhill Rock Gardens, a public park owned by Dundee City Council, and had been brought down by winds during Storm Gerrit.

The soil the tree was rooted in made it unable to resist the high winds, while three other trees had been felled in the months prior, increasing its exposure to winds from the Firth of Tay, their report concluded.

Dundee City Council was found to have not effectively managed the risk of trees falling from its land onto railway lines, and a recommendation was made for the local authority to review its tree management.

It also found that the telephone equipment used at the Scottish control centre did not display missed call information.

Since the incident, Network Rail has provided staff with an additional number for emergencies.

A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The city council has received the report, and officers are looking in detail at the recommendations that have been made by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

“We continue to work with Network Rail to ensure effective control of the risk of trees falling onto the railway.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We will carefully review the RAIB’s comprehensive report into the incident at Broughty Ferry where a local authority tree was blown onto the railway.

“We have already made changes to the way reports from members of the public about safety concerns are managed within our control room and are constantly reviewing how we can improve safety.

“We are making increased use of our helicopter before and after storms to help us identify potential problems and we are also currently investing millions in the biggest devegetation programme ever undertaken on Scotland’s Railway to reduce the risk of trees falling onto our infrastructure.”