RAIL union Aslef has paid tribute to the families of those killed in the Carmont rail crash as the fatal accident inquiry starts today.

Christopher Stuchbury, Donald Dinnie and train driver Brett McCullough died on August 12 2020 when a landslip caused the derailment of the 6.38 service from Aberdeen to Glasgow near the Aberdeenshire hamlet of Carmont.

Aslef Scottish organiser Kevin Lindsay said: “We have said before that Carmont represents endemic and tragic corporate failure. If it was a busy train, it is likely many more fatalities would have occurred.”

Arguing that the accident must be a watershed moment for rail safety nationally, he added: “Never again should our drivers be on trains where crashworthiness is not fit for purpose.

“Neither can we have trains on track and infrastructure that are not designed to withstand the consequences of climate change and where repeated warnings were not acted upon.

“We hope and expect that this inquiry establishes all the facts and helps ensure that no family goes through the pain endured by those closest to Christopher, Donald and Brett.”