Walkers hit by train on West Highland Line

[jopsuk]

two guys walking along the line across Rannoch Moor have been hit by a train.

Two men hurt after being hit by train on Rannoch Moor

Two men have been injured after being hit by a train on Rannoch Moor on Tuesday evening.

The pair had been walking along the track about two miles north of Rannoch Station, near Corrour, when they were struck at about 18:40.

The train driver is understood to have spotted the men and hit the brakes.

British Transport Police said the 52-year-old and and 87-year-old were airlifted to hospital suffering from leg injuries.

One man was taken to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and the other to the Belford Hospital in Fort William.

ScotRail said the line had been closed to allow emergency services to deal with the situation, but has since reopened.

One of them must have been in a fairly serious condition not to have gone straight to Glasgow by helicopter.

I am though quite amused by the photo used to illustrate it

Assuming that's not a railtour, anyone care to give an approximate date for it?

 

[yorkie]

Assuming that's not a railtour, anyone care to give an approximate date for it?

RETB was launched on this route in the 1980s (a quick search suggests 1987?), the semaphore would have been removed at that time.

The BBC used to use pictures of slam-door EMUs for anything in SWT/SET/SN-land, but after people moaned they replaced them.

 

[sprinterguy]

Looks to be within the 1970 – 1980 period. There’s still semaphore signalling in evidence and it doesn’t look to be the section where semaphore signals are used to warn of rockfalls on the Oban branch, so it surely predates RETB working on the line.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

The Sprinters started in January 1989, so judging by the vegetation, I would say not after late summer 1988.

 

[LexyBoy]

Ouch. I can in this instance understand why they might have been walking along the line - if they had got lost, or couldn't make it back across the moors before nightfall, then the railway would look like a very attractive shortcut.

I'm a bit surprised that they didn't hear the train long before it hit them though - there's not much else up there making noise, except for the wind...

 

[33056]

RETB came in during 1987 and 1988 on the West Highland (source Scot-Rail ).

 

[a good off]

Note the oil lit tail lamp too. If I recall correctly these were phased out around 1987/88 time.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

you dont always hear a train approaching until it is pretty much on top of you, though you do get the ringing in the rails on CWR...

 

[jopsuk]

no idea what the weather was like (though obviously clear enough the driver saw them from some way away- they may have had hoods up, for example. if the wind was coming from in front of them and the train from behind, that again would reduce the distance the train is audible at.

 

[sprinterguy]

you dont always hear a train approaching until it is pretty much on top of you, though you do get the ringing in the rails on CWR...

The section of the WHL over Rannoch Moor is very flat, and very exposed though. I would be surprised if continuous welded rail had been laid on the WHL: Whenever I have been in the vicinity of the West Highland line at any location, the telltale “Clatter-clatter, clatter-clatter” of an approaching Sprinter running over the jointed rails has always been readily apparent even from a good distance away.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Note the oil lit tail lamp too. If I recall correctly these were phased out around 1987/88 time.

They lasted that long? hock: I thought they were phased out earlier in the eighties for the battery powered variety.

 

[jimicrowbar]

I was working close by when this happened. I cant understand either how they never heard it as there is nothing about for miles. I hear the wagon coming about 5 mins before i see it.

 

[Railsigns]

RETB was launched on this route in the 1980s (a quick search suggests 1987?), the semaphore would have been removed at that time.

The semaphore signal in the picture is the Down Home signal at Rannoch (no.16).

RETB was commissioned on that section of route on 29/05/1988.

Rannoch lost its semaphore signals on 03/11/85 in preparation for RETB.

The photograph must therefore have been taken some time before 3 November 1985.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Have there been other cases such as this on Rannoch Moor over the years ?

 

[OuterDistant]

If you're lost, even non rail buffs know that a railway track will usually come out somewhere populated. I know I'd be sorely tempted.

Of course, it's easy to trick yourself into thinking that there won't be any trains coming along for ages, and even if there is, you'll always hear it coming.

 

[Railsigns]

The section of the WHL over Rannoch Moor is very flat, and very exposed though. I would be surprised if continuous welded rail had been laid on the WHL: Whenever I have been in the vicinity of the West Highland line at any location, the telltale “Clatter-clatter, clatter-clatter” of an approaching Sprinter running over the jointed rails has always been readily apparent even from a good distance away.

There's a fair amount of CWR on the West Highland Line, as it happens.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

If you're lost, even non rail buffs know that a railway track will usually come out somewhere populated. I know I'd be sorely tempted.

Of course, it's easy to trick yourself into thinking that there won't be any trains coming along for ages, and even if there is, you'll always hear it coming.

There's a difference between following the route of a railway and actually walking along the track. OK, crossing rivers etc would present a bit of a dilemma so it would be interesting to know where exactly it happened.

If you are stuck for something to do then follow the route from a cab ride (train leaves Rannoch Station at 2:20:38)

 

[Liam]

If you're lost, even non rail buffs know that a railway track will usually come out somewhere populated. I know I'd be sorely tempted.

But wouldn't anybody with the tiniest bit of sense would walk alongside the railway, rather than on it? Or maybe it's just me.

 

[sprinterguy]

There's a fair amount of CWR on the West Highland Line, as it happens.

Oh. Well there you go, I am surprised!

 

[tsr]

Given that Rannoch has (to my knowledge) remote road access, and Corrour has zilch, I would be interested to know how long NR took to get to the accident. Did they use another train as a rescue unit?

I would assume helimed/SAR were on scene long before them, or at least around the same time, and I also assume that once the train and line were secured according to their very stringent requirements*, the casualties would have been removed rapidly.

*I don't actually know precisely what these would be, but I should think they are similar to those of most ambulance services!

 

[ex-railwayman]

There's a difference between following the route of a railway and actually walking along the track. OK, crossing rivers etc would present a bit of a dilemma so it would be interesting to know where exactly it happened.

Yeah, I can't understand why they'd be actually on the track, it would be daylight at the time of the incident, you can safely walk next to the ballast watching where you put your feet, I doubt the 87 year old would be walking very fast anyway.

I hope they both make a full recovery.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

 

[OuterDistant]

Ballast slips. The temptation would be to walk on the sleepers.

 

[GB]

Of course, it's easy to trick yourself into thinking that there won't be any trains coming along for ages, and even if there is, you'll always hear it coming.

That, as well as being a potential fatal mistake, is completely incorrect as anyone who has worked trackside will know.

(my bold)

 

[YorkshireBear]

That, as well as being a potential fatal mistake, is completely incorrect as anyone who has worked trackside will know.

(my bold)

Yep, i meant its only heritage railway but a DMU coasting down hill (well anything but in this case DMU) can be on you very quickly if you haven't noticed it.
I am not sure of topography of area, but if it was coasting then it does not surprise me at all. Was it windy? That would easily confuse hearing.

 

[marks87]

It was a father out walking with his son, and his other son was on the train.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Pe...-moment-train-hit-his-father-and-brother.html

 

[PaxVobiscum]

It mentions that the injured father and son live in Germany and were over for a holiday.

Is it legal to walk along rural railway tracks in Germany?

 

[TGV]

We have no idea what condition the man's hearing was in. It is perfectly conceivable that in windy or wet conditions that somebody with poor hearing and/or eyesight would not know a train is approaching - the fact he was where he shouldn't have been is a cause for concern, but now that the incident has happened we can't change the fact they were there. As part of my PTS instruction years ago we were stood next to a 125mph mainline (ECML on a wet and windy day as it happened) with our back to the direction of the approaching trains (although not ON the track obviously). Our instructor asked us to turn around when we heard a train approaching. When we did there were about 3 seconds between us hearing it, turning around and it passing.

It also is dependant on their ability to move out of the way once (or if) they have realised the situation. At 87 years of age the odds are that the gentleman in question wasn't too athletic - plus the usual plethora of trip hazards on a railway.

The main thing is that one of them appears to be well on the way to recovery, the other hopefully also, and that the driver is OK after one of the most traumatic types of things that can happen to a railwayman.

Can we have a balanced view of these incidents please?

 

[JohnB57]

Can we have a balanced view of these incidents please?

That's what you get at the end of a conversation or debate. And that's the value of forums such as this. Bringing extreme opinions together, exchanging views and information and achieving balance.

 

[Dieseldriver]

As part of my PTS instruction years ago we were stood next to a 125mph mainline (ECML on a wet and windy day as it happened) with our back to the direction of the approaching trains (although not ON the track obviously). Our instructor asked us to turn around when we heard a train approaching. When we did there were about 3 seconds between us hearing it, turning around and it passing

Now that is a fantastic idea, would be good if all instructors did something like that, would really prove just how quiet trains can be!

 

[roybun]

A few years ago I took a southbound train to Tulloch and a German couple, in their 60's, started to walk off the end of the platform onto the tracks. When I challenged them, they said they were going to walk back to Spean Bridge along the track as there were no trains due. I pointed out the obvious and gave them an alternative safe route. I don't know if they took my advice as I left them on the platform.

So maybe walking on the track is a German thing!

Roy

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Can we have a balanced view of these incidents please?

It appears to me at least that a balanced view is being portrayed by this thread - I cannot see much in it to take umbrage about.

To clarify my last question, I wonder if there may well be an issue with foreign tourists who are genuinely unaware that walking along railway tracks is not permitted in this country. The signs at the end of platforms often say "Passengers must not cross the line" whereas something on the lines (ho ho) of "It is an offence to trespass on the railway - passengers must not proceed beyond this point" might do more to prevent prevent future incidents.

Will there be a RAIB report about this incident?