Passenger knocked unconscious in 'Flying Scotsman' Aviemore incident

The investigation into a collision involving the famous ‘Flying Scotsman’ steam loco on a heritage railway in Aviemore is revealing a passenger was knocked unconscious when it was reversed into a luxury train.

Two people on board the Royal Scotsman were taken to hospital after the low-speed collision on the Strathspey Railway in September 2023.

The iconic locomotive, owned by the National Railway Museum, was visiting the Highland tourist attraction as part of a tour of the UK to celebrate the centenary of its construction in 1923.

While the ‘Flying Scotsman’ was at Strathspey it was decided to use it to haul the touring train which visits the line up to 40 times a year.

No clear view

The report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) says the driver had a restricted view as the locomotive was reversed ‘tender first’ towards the carriages which were standing at the platform, with the track going around curve.

Based on previous experience they had expected the train to be positioned further down the track.

A warning from the one of the other crew watching from the other side of the footplate came too late to stop the tender of the locomotive hitting the carriages at 7mph.

Chaos onboard

One of the passengers on the Royal Scotsman, who was watching from the open balcony of the ‘Observation Carriage’ was knocked off their feet by the impact.

Another passenger standing inside the carriage clashed heads with another traveller and briefly lost consciousness.

Numerous wine bottles fell from a large wine rack into the floor, while bottles of spirits tumbled from a shelf in an on-board kitchen area.

The collision also caused minor damage to the locomotive tender and damage to the coaches involved, which were taken out of service

The safety body has told the railway to review the way it organises abnormal operations, such as visiting railway vehicles and special events, to ensure that the risks are identified, assessed and mitigated.

In their report investigators also noted there were six people in the cab of the locomotive, which broke the Strathspey Railway’s rules, and no one had been told to help keep a look out for the driver.

Strathspey Railway Company said it accepts the findings of the report and is already making the necessary changes outlined by the RAIB.

A spokesperson said: "The Strathspey Railway has fully engaged with the investigation carried out by the RAIB and accepts the findings of the report.

"The learning points in the report have already been addressed and work to deliver the intent of the one recommendation in the report is in hand."

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