{"id":435840,"date":"2021-04-19T14:09:04","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T13:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=435840"},"modified":"2021-04-19T17:21:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T16:21:19","slug":"carillion-and-arup-named-in-stonehaven-derailment-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/health-and-safety\/carillion-and-arup-named-in-stonehaven-derailment-probe-19-04-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Carillion and Arup named in Stonehaven derailment probe"},"content":{"rendered":"

An interim report into last year\u2019s Stonehaven derailment in Scotland, published by the UK Government\u2019s Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), has identified gravel from a drainage system built by Carillion and designed by Arup as the likely cause of the accident.<\/p>\n

On 12 August 2020, a train travelling at 73mph derailed after colliding with a landslip that had spilled onto the track, following a period of intense rain. The driver, conductor and one passenger died in the resulting crash.<\/p>\n

The RAIB report explained that the derailment occurred in a cutting, close to the outflow of a \u2018French drain\u2019 installed along the crest of the cutting. The drain was intended to prevent storm water washing down the face of the slope. It employed a perforated pipe buried in a gravel-filled trench to capture and divert water from the top of the earthworks.<\/p>\n

The interim report<\/a> said: \u201cThe train derailed after colliding with stones washed out onto the track from the gravel-filled crest drain and from the adjacent ground.\u201d The RAIB report said the colour and shape of the gravel used in the drain suggested that this installed material \u201crepresented a significant proportion of the debris on the track\u201d.<\/p>\n

The report also found that the whole of the drainage system had not\u00a0been catalogued for inspections by Network Rail. It said: \u201cOnly the section closest to the track [\u2026] was listed on Network Rail\u2019s drain maintenance database at the time of the accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

The RAIB is now investigating whether other factors, such as \u201cthe drainage system\u2019s design or the quality of installation, contributed to the displacement of material\u201d. According to the report, the 340-metre-long drain was completed in 2012 by now-defunct contractor Carillion. The contractor had commissioned the Scottish arm of engineering firm Arup to design the drainage system, as well as rockfall prevention measures.<\/p>\n

In its interim report, the RAIB said it will go on to examine: whether the drainage system performed as intended; the design method and approval processes used at the time; the construction and inspection processes employed during installation; and the intended inspection regime and the reasons for any discrepancies in the schedule.<\/p>\n

It added: \u201cRAIB has not found any evidence of a train fault that could have played a part in its derailment\u201d, although the interim conclusions do come with the caution that \u201cfurther investigative work may cause some modification to these findings\u201d.<\/p>\n

Last month, Network Rail published reports of its own in the wake of the crash<\/a>. A 543-page report into the management of earthworks, delivered by Professor Lord Robert Mair on behalf of Network Rail, highlighted the need to adopt new technologies to improve safety. It suggested using wireless sensors to monitor the stability of slopes, as well as drones and artificial intelligence to spot signs of instability. It also warned that climate change will pose increasing risks to earthworks.<\/p>\n

Lord Mair\u2019s report examined measures taken by other infrastructure providers to safeguard their networks, and cited a framework developed by Arup for Highways England to assess resilience in the face of severe weather events. \u00a0It also identified a 2017 project carried out by Arup alongside consultancy Aecom to investigate the benefits of remote surveying techniques.<\/p>\n

Responding to the RAIB report, an Arup spokesperson said the company is \u201cco-operating fully with the relevant authorities to assist the investigations into the train derailment\u201d and was unable to provide further comment. They directed CN<\/em> to the RAIB.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An interim report into last year\u2019s Stonehaven derailment in Scotland, published by the UK Government\u2019s Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), has identified gravel from a drainage system built by Carillion and designed by Arup as the likely cause of the accident. On 12 August 2020, a train travelling at 73mph derailed after colliding with a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84992,"featured_media":371399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[531,549,57172,581],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n