Three killed as train crashes into car on unmanned level crossing

Published on Tuesday 29 September 2009 22:23

THREE people were killed after a train and a car collided at a level crossing in the far north of Scotland.

One person was thrown from the car on impact with the train in Halkirk, Caithness, while two others were found dead inside the vehicle.

None of the 18 passengers or four crew on the train was hurt.

No details had been released about the victims last night, but they are believed to be two middle-aged men and a woman.

The tragedy happened at the unmanned, ungated level crossing – which has lights but no barriers – on the town's Bridge Street.

The 10:38am train was travelling between Inverness and Wick when the accident happened at 2:08pm.

Three fire appliances and four ambulances attended the scene, along with police. Road accident investigators were sent from Inverness, and were joined by officers from the British Transport Police and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

After the crash, those on the train, a mix of local residents and tourists, were taken by bus to a hotel in Thurso for a few hours to recover from their ordeal. Two Highland Council social workers were on hand to counsel those who had witnessed the tragedy – some were said to be traumatised by the events.

Later, passengers spoke of hearing a bang and feeling the train shake before it suddenly stopped.

Superintendent Julian Innes, from Northern Constabulary, said: "Shortly after 2:10pm, police were alerted that a train had struck a car near Halkirk.

"Three people have died as the result of the collision. There were 18 passengers and four staff on the train and none of these people was injured."

Councillor David Flear, who represents the ward of Caithness Landward on Highland Council and lives in Halkirk, said: "The community is in shock. We are very tight-knit. This affects us all. Three people losing their lives is a tragedy."

In 2002, a pregnant woman was seriously injured at the same crossing. Sarah Jappy was in a coma for three months after her car was crushed by a train. She suffered multiple fractures, but survived and gave birth to a healthy baby.

Ms Jappy has raised a 500,000 legal action against Network Rail, which will be heard in the Court of Session next year. She will argue the warning lights at the crossing are difficult to see and there is no barrier.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "Our engineers are on scene to inspect the crossing. At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that the crossing was not functioning correctly at the time of the collision."

He added: "All our level crossings are regularly inspected to check they are appropriate and we are confident the correct crossing is in place at Halkirk."

Raymond Bremner, who works near the scene of the crash, said there had been "three or four" accidents in the past few years at the crossing.

Last month, a train carrying 40 passengers and three staff was involved in a collision with a refuse collection lorry on a level crossing on the same line. No-one was seriously injured.