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Fatal derailment ‘will feel like yesterday’ to those affected, says union boss

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Cite

Forbes, N. (2026, November 4). Fatal derailment ‘will feel like yesterday’ to those affected, says union boss. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/carillion-network-rail-scottish-government-press-association-rail-accident-investigation-branch-b1303561.html

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Evening Standard · collected 2026-11-04 · by Nick Forbes

Quick Summary

RMT Scotland organiser Gordon Martin discussed the 2020 Stonehaven rail crash, which killed three people and injured six when train 1T08 derailed near Carmont due to debris from an incorrectly-built drain on the track. Martin emphasized that for those affected, the incident remains painfully recent despite being over two years old, advocating for increased safety measures such as ending the outsourcing of infrastructure work by Network Rail and replacing aging rolling stock.
Written by AI on 2026-11-06, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

A train derailment near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire on August 12, 2020, led to the deaths of three people and injured six others. Sheriff Lesley Johnson determined that the accident could have been avoided if a drain had been constructed correctly. The victims were train driver Brett McCullough (45), conductor Donald Dinnie (58), and passenger Christopher Stuchbury (62). The derailment occurred when debris washed from the improperly built drain onto the railway tracks during heavy rain, causing Train 1T08 to hit it and subsequently derail. Union leaders are calling for stricter oversight of infrastructure work by Network Rail to prevent such incidents in the future.

Written for “Stonehaven Train Crash Investigation” on 2026-11-06, grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Stonehaven Train Crash Investigation
Crime & Law · 6 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 5% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Evening Standard
Hedges 1 of 25 claims Outlet record 64/100
Evening Standard
Hedges 1 of 43 claims Outlet record 64/100
Daily Mail
Hedges 2 of 25 claims Outlet record 69/100
BBC News
Hedges 5 of 36 claims Outlet record 66/100
Evening Standard
Hedges 1 of 38 claims Outlet record 64/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
22
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
1 of 22 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
64/100
Evening Standard's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
6
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
2
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-06 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Evening Standard · 8902 article(s) · 74 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 74 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Nick Forbes
31 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The 2020 Stonehaven rail crash “will feel like yesterday” to the families of those affected, a union boss has said, as he called for the industry to “go further” to precent anything like it happening again.
🔮 A train derailment that caused the deaths of three people in 2020 could have been avoided if a drain had been built correctly, a sheriff has found.
🔮 The 2020 Stonehaven rail crash “will feel like yesterday” to the families of those affected, a union boss has said, as he called for the industry to “go further” to precent anything like it happening again.
🔮 A train derailment that caused the deaths of three people in 2020 could have been avoided if a drain had been built correctly, a sheriff has found.
🔮 “Uppermost in my mind is imprisonment, but I will be looking at all other alternatives,” he said.
🔮 Overweight offshore workers could lose job under new rules, industry body warns Hundreds of offshore workers could be at risk of losing their jobs when a new weight limit comes into effect next week, an industry body has warned.
🔮 The opening ceremony and official presentation of the riders will take place on Edinburgh Castle Esplanade on June 30, when fans will get a chance to see the world’s top elite road cyclists and their teams.
🔮 He added that community sentences would be “inadequate” because they would “fail to reflect the seriousness of the crime or the community’s disapproval (of) sectarian, football related violence”.
🔮 The indictment says it will be proved the alleged offence was “aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection”.
🔮 The indictment says it will be proved the alleged offence was “aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection”.
Also by Nick Forbes
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 31 articles by Nick Forbes →

Topics

1T08 Network Rail RMT Scotland Scotland Stonehaven

Subjects

Network Rail ORG · 6× Martin PERSON · 3× Scotland GPE · 2× Stonehaven GPE · 2× the UK Government ORG · 2× Aberdeenshire GPE · 1× Carmont GPE · 1× Gordon Martin PERSON · 1× RMT Scotland ORG · 1× the Press Association ORG · 1×

Narrative

He said: “Until and unless Network Rail stop outsourcing infrastructure work, in other words, to insource it and do the work to Network Rail standards with Network Rail trained, competent, and certified staff, there is always a risk of an infrastructure failure leading to the deaths of other people.
framing: assertive · carried by 2 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-04
🔮 The 2020 Stonehaven rail crash “will feel like yesterday” to the families of those affected, a union boss has said, as he called for the industry to “go further” to precent anything like it happening again.

Claims (22 extracted, 1 hedged)

The 2020 Stonehaven rail crash “will feel like yesterday” to the families of those affected, a union boss has said, as he called for the industry to “go further” to precent anything like it happening again. asserted
anything → feel → it
RMT Scotland organiser Gordon Martin said he welcomed the findings of a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the derailment, which identified an incorrectly-built drain as the cause. asserted
which → say → cause
Three people were killed and six injured when train 1T08 derailed at Carmont near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, on August 12, 2020 after hitting debris that was washed from the drain on to the track by heavy rain. asserted
that → kill → rain
Read More Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Martin said: “I’d just like to reiterate our deepest condolences to the families of the three people that unfortunately lost their lives, and best wishes to the people injured and their families. asserted
that → read → people
“Although it was over six years ago now, it will feel like yesterday to those families, and it’s a traumatic event.” asserted
it → feel → families
He added: “For the wider railway family, it’s also been traumatic. asserted
it → add → family
“The railway family lost two members that day through an accident that could have been avoided, and that’s why the lessons must be learned to ensure these kind of matters cannot arise again.” uncertain
kind → lose → matters
He welcomed the 20 recommendations set out in an earlier Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report into the incident, which Sheriff Johnson described in her determination as “comprehensive and wide-ranging”. asserted
Johnson → welcome → determination
However Mr Martin said the “only way we can ensure this doesn’t happen again” is by ending the outsourcing of infrastructure works by Network Rail. asserted
this → say → Rail
This is not one of the 20 recommendations, but Mr Martin said it “doesn’t take a recommendation from anyone to do this”. asserted
it → say → this
He said: “Until and unless Network Rail stop outsourcing infrastructure work, in other words, to insource it and do the work to Network Rail standards with Network Rail trained, competent, and certified staff, there is always a risk of an infrastructure failure leading to the deaths of other people. asserted
Rail → say → people
“I hope that never happens, but there is that risk inherent in using staff (where) you don’t know what the fatigue levels are, and you don’t really know what their competence levels are. asserted
levels → hope → staff
But will Network Rail and the UK and Scottish governments demand it? asserted
Rail → demand → it
Time will tell.” asserted
Time → tell → ?
He also questioned the crash-worthiness of Scotland’s ageing high-speed train rolling stock, saying the sooner this is taken off the network the better. asserted
this → question → network
He said the InterCity 125 train involved in the crash was first introduced to the network 50 years ago, and that it had “crumbled” in the crash rather than “standing up to it the way modern trains should”. asserted
trains → say → it
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Our immediate thoughts remain with all those affected by this tragic accident. asserted
thoughts → say → accident
“Whilst rail safety is reserved to the UK Government, it is a key priority. asserted
it → reserve → Government
“The Scottish Government takes the matter of safety on Scotland’s Railway very seriously. asserted
Government → take → Railway
In doing so, we also fully understand the duty of care that all parties involved in designing, constructing and operating the railway have to each other and to the travelling public, and the duty of co-operation those parties have to facilitate safe operation.” asserted
parties → do → operation
Network Rail has been approached for comment. asserted
Rail → approach → comment
The UK Government declined to comment. asserted
Government → decline → ?
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