A Network Rail report, ordered by the UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, has been submitted.
On August 13, Mr Shapps told the transport body to carry out an immediate “resilience review” into areas affected by storms following the fatal train derailment near Stonehaven.
Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died when the train hit a landslip, near Carmont, following heavy rain.
In addition, Mr Shapps requested a full report on wider network resilience of the UK’s railways, with the interim findings due on his desk by September 1.
Yesterday, Network Rail confirmed the report would be submitted today ‘as planned’.
Now, a spokesman from the Department for Transport has confirmed the report has reached Mr Shapps .
The spokesman said: “The Secretary of State immediately requested a full report from Network Rail and visited the site, to ensure all lessons are learned from the tragic incident near Stonehaven.
“We have received their interim report and will publish this shortly.”
As part of today's visit to #Stonehaven, I've ordered an immediate resilience review from @networkrail of areas hit by the recent storms. In addition I've requested a full report on wider network resilience, with the interim findings on my desk by 1st September.
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) August 13, 2020
Last month, Network Rail announced it would carry out “supplementary specialist inspections” of “higher risk” trackside slopes with similar characteristics to the site of the Aberdeenshire train crash.
The rigorous testing was introduced in response in the wake of the derailment.
Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has confirmed that investigations at the scene of the Stonehaven train derailment will come to an end this week.
He told BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme: “As it stands at the moment, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch are very advanced in their investigation.
“They are making good progress, but it is likely that the line there will remain closed for several weeks yet, given the remedial work that will have to be undertaken by Network Rail once the recovery operation is complete.
