Storm Gerrit causes tree strike near Dundee
RAIB investigation highlights the importance of understanding tree-related risk.
At around 13.09 on 27 December 2023, a Perth–Aberdeen service struck a fallen tree about a mile east of Broughty Ferry, in Dundee. The train, an HST formation, suffered significant damage to the leading cab. Thankfully, there were no physical injuries to the 37 passengers and three staff members on board.
The tree had fallen from Barnhill Rock Gardens, a public park owned by Dundee City Council. It had been brought down during Storm Gerrit, which had buffeted the area with high winds and heavy rain for several hours by this time.
RAIB found that the soil lacked the stability needed to help the tree resist these conditions. Three nearby trees had been cut down before May, which increased the exposure of the fallen tree to winds blowing across the Firth of Tay.
Around 12 minutes before the collision, a member of the public saw the fallen tree and contacted Network Rail using the public helpline. The call handler tried to pass the news to Network Rail’s Scotland route control a number of times. But the call wasn’t answered until after the accident. This meant that a warning about the fallen tree didn’t reach the driver in time to prevent the collision.
Network Rail relies on neighbouring landowners controlling the risk associated with trees falling onto the railway from outside the boundary fence. However, the council did not do this effectively.
As a result of the accident, the survival space in the cab was considerably reduced. The driver only escaped serious injury by crouching behind the driving seat once they had made an emergency brake application.
A review of the incident is being undertaken as part of the industry response to Recommendation 19 of the RAIB report concerning the derailment of a passenger train at Carmont. On 3 September
2024, the Scottish Government announced that the procurement process will begin to replace the HST sets operated by ScotRail.
In addition, Network Rail has provided helpline call handlers with a priority call telephone number for their route control centres. If a helpline call handler becomes aware of an issue affecting the safety of a railway line, they can use these numbers to warn control centre staff.
Network Rail also reported that incoming calls to a route control centre using the priority call telephone number will be answered as a high priority and by a larger pool within the existing route control centre staff. This should prevent future delays in answering calls relating to safety of the line matters.
Network Rail’s Technical Authority is developing an aerial survey system to help with the lineside inspection of trees. The system, known as digitised lineside inspection (DLI), uses data produced from equipment on board aircraft to survey the railway corridor. The data is supplemented by light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scans and hyperspectral imaging which is processed by software to identify dead, diseased or decayed trees.
RAIB’s report shows the importance of assessing the risks that trees represent. GB Railfreight's Bessie Matthews described her own experiences in Right Track 49. Make sure you always report the full details of any incident you’re involved with.
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Images courtesy of RAIB
