Greenock rail crash

Greenock rail crash
Details
Date	25 June 1994 23:00
Location	near Drumfrochar railway station, Greenock
Country	Scotland
Line	Inverclyde Line (Strathclyde Passenger Transport)
Operator	ScotRail
Cause	Vandalism
Statistics
Trains	1
Passengers	4
Crew	2
Deaths	2
List of UK rail accidents by year

On 25 June 1994, the 22:45 from Wemyss Bay to Glasgow, in Scotland, derailed and smashed into a bridge after hitting concrete blocks placed deliberately on the railway by vandals outside of where Drumfrochar railway station would be opened 4 years later.

The train involved was a refurbished Class 303 Electric Multiple Unit. The concrete blocks were cable-trough covers, which were placed across the rails of the single-track line by two vandals who had climbed down to the railway to urinate on their way home. The railway at this point is on a curve, going to the right as the train was travelling.

The leading bogie of the EMU derailed and the train immediately collided with the solid structure of the overbridge, crushing the driver's cab, killing driver Arthur McKee, 35, and also killing passenger Alan Nicol, 21, who was seated immediately behind the cab, with his back to the partition. Alan Nicol had taken this location to reduce the risk of injury from broken glass should the train be stoned by vandals, which was a common occurrence in that area. Including the two trainstaff, the train was carrying six people. Among the passengers on board were two teenage girls heading out for a night on the town, a man heading home after a family visit. Also traveling on board was ticket collector Brian Maguire. A few seconds before the derailment occurred, Maguire was making his way towards the front carriage of the train to collect the ticket of Alan nickel. In an interview, Maguire said, “For about 10 seconds I stood in the gangway, … because I saw this passenger… who was sitting at the front of the carriage… and I decided not to take his ticket that night… and then I removed myself from the gangway… back into the middle of the second carriage that I had just come from.” Moments later, the train left the tracks after striking the concrete blocks and plowed into the bridge. This course of action saved Maguire’s life.

Following the tragedy, many youths in the surrounding area were questioned by police regarding the incident. After a trial by the High Court, Gary Dougan and Craig Houston, two 17-year-olds from Greenock were each imprisoned for 15 years for culpable homicide. Dougan and Houston launched an appeal against their convictions two years later. In September 1996, the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh upheld both convictions.

References

Sources

• Stephen, Paul (19 June 2019). "The vandalism that claimed two lives". Rail Magazine. No. 881. Peterborough: Bauer Media. ISSN 0953-4563.