Damning report on train cliff drama

Rail accident investigators have said the risk of loose boulders at the site where a train derailed last year had not been identified by operators Network Rail.

The Glasgow to Oban service was left dangling over a 50ft embankment after it hit a boulder and came off the tracks near the Falls of Cruachan power station by Loch Awe in June 2010.

Some 60 passengers were led to safety following the accident.

Yesterday, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) published its accident report.

It said the train had struck a boulder that had been dislodged, through "natural processes that included root jacking and soil erosion", from the slope above the track.

It also found "the examination and evaluation system did not identify the boulder hazard on the soil slope between the rock face and the railway boundary".

And the system "did not identify the risk of loose boulders on the slope".

It went on: "The main reason for this was the growth of vegetation that concealed boulders from view.

"The extent to which this compromised the ability of those doing the examinations was not reported to Network Rail and they, in turn, did not query it."

The RAIB made several recommendations following its findings, including better inspection and maintenance of trackside earthworks, clearing of vegetation to allow proper assessment, a review of repair planning, and an assessment of the dangers of rock slopes.

The report also recommended that train operators should look at the risk lighting diffusers and panels inside trains could pose to passengers if they become dislodged in a derailment.