A plaque honouring the victims of the Stonehaven rail crash is to be unveiled tomorrow – a year on from the tragedy.
Thursday August 12 marks the first anniversary of the crash, which claimed the lives of train driver Brett McCullough, of Stonehaven, conductor Donald Dinnie, of Westhill, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, of Aberdeen,
Six other passengers were injured during the crash, which happened when heavy rain caused a landslip at Carmont.
The plaque will be unveiled at Stonehaven Rail Station on Thursday morning in a private gathering.
A minute’s silence will also take place at all Scottish rail stations at 9.43am – a year to the moment the derailment was reported.
‘Still fresh and raw in our minds’
A spokesman for rail driver’s union ASLEF said: “On Thursday we mark the first anniversary of the tragic accident.
“This will be marked by rail staff observing a minute’s silence and by the unveiling of a memorial plaque at Stonehaven station.”
ASLEF Scotland organiser Kevin Lindsay said: “It is with enormous sadness that we remember the event, which is still fresh and raw in all our minds.
“The accident cast a long shadow across the railway industry, not just here in Scotland, but throughout the United Kingdom.
‘We will never forget Brett and Donald, who were doing their jobs, and Christopher, who was going about his business, but we will redouble our efforts to ensure that the railway is made safe for passengers and staff so that accidents of this sort do not happen again.’
‘We will reflect on what needs to be done’
ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan said: “It is right that we take a moment on Thursday 12 August to remember the lives of Brett, Donald, and Christopher.
“But we will also reflect on what needs to be done to ensure that the infrastructure of Britains railways is not neglected, so that accidents of this sort do not happen again.”
With the co-operation of those closest to this tragedy, our Impact investigations team compiled a 14-part series – The 6:54 from Stonehaven – looking at the human impact of the crash, the circumstances that led to the incident, and hail those who responded so magnificently in the hours, days and weeks which followed.
