Quintinshill Rail Tragedy Marked

Royalty, politicians, military veterans and relatives of the victims have marked the 100th anniversary of Britain's worst rail disaster.

The Princess Royal and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attended a special service in Gretna on the Scottish-English border on the centenary of the Quintinshill rail crash.

At 6.50am on May 22 1915, a train packed with First World War troops travelling from Larbert, Stirlingshire, collided with a local passenger service.

Straight afterwards, a Glasgow-bound express train smashed into the wreckage at the Quintinshill signal box, setting off a devastating fire which engulfed the troop train, packed with nearly 500 members of the Leith Battalion of the Royal Scots.

More than 200 soldiers and 12 civilians were killed and a further 246 people were injured.

The troops were on their way to Liverpool, where they were due to sail to the front line of the war in Gallipoli.

Events in Gretna today included a march to Quintinshill rail siding, the unveiling of a roll of honour at Gretna Old Parish Church and a commemorative tree planting at Gretna Green war memorial.

Anne laid a wreath beside the roll of honour monument, and a second wreath was laid on behalf of the Royal Scots regiment.

Anne will attend a second service with Ms Sturgeon in Rosebank Cemetery in Edinburgh tomorrow, where many of the soldiers were buried in a mass grave.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell was also at the service in his Dumfriesshire constituency today.

He said: "A century on, the memory of the terrible disaster at Quintinshill still evokes strong emotions in the local community and across Scotland.

"It was a disaster which claimed the lives of young men travelling to join one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War, leaving a huge gulf in Scottish families and communities already affected by that conflict.''