Cross Country derailment

[Geo Ghost]

Rather peculiar derailment of a 221 Voyager in Angus.

Service was heading towards Aberdeen from Edinburgh.
In injuries apart from the driver getting a bit of a bump. Front bogie came off the track and that's about it. Seems rather unusual to me though. Most curious to know what caused it.

Images:
http://tayrail.smugmug.com/Railways-Tay ... &k=mbR8vkX

BBC News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-t ... l-20197419

[Dave]

Entirely speculating, but it looks as if the track has rather a strong cant just there. Maybe that has something to do with it.

Still surprises me that CrossCountry run this as a Class 2 service train... But whatever. Looking forward to hearing what caused it.

[Geo Ghost]

Certainly lucky nothing was coming the other way.

[Ameecher]

I was there the other day, huh.

Doubt it was a speed issue on the bend/cant, I suspect something like a broken rail is more likely, I'd expect overspeed derailments to be a much messier affair, not that I actually know anything in any case.

[Geo Ghost]

They did have a derailment due to over speed somewhere on the westcoast not long ago I believe? Was similar to that except the whole locomotive came off the rails and went some way down the line. Can't remember where that was though. Though in this case, there aren't a set of points involved (according to maps)

If it were a broken rail, wouldn't the following bogies have come off as well?

[Nawdic]

Saw this on Facebook. I put it down to weather.

[Geo Ghost]

Saw this on Facebook. I put it down to weather.

Blown off the track perhaps? Seems legit

[Dave]

... What? Haha.

[Geo Ghost]

I have no idea.

[Ameecher]

Saw this on Facebook. I put it down to weather.

Whilst we've had a fair amount of rain here recently, it's nothing of note really but I suppose it could be a landslip perhaps but again, I'm sceptical.

[Redirect Left]

Interesting development lads, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-t ... l-20226195

It may have been deliberate...

[Dave]

More like it.

[Geo Ghost]

Indeed. If it were a track problem, it would have been more obvious or identified almost right away.
If it was an obstruction, must have been pretty strong to force the entire front bogie off the rails I would have thought?

[Jake Grey]

Indeed. If it were a track problem, it would have been more obvious or identified almost right away.
If it was an obstruction, must have been pretty strong to force the entire front bogie off the rails I would have thought?

Big lump of concrete nicked off a demolition site would probably do it, or maybe a tree stump.

[Dave]

Believe a breeze block did the trick once? At that speed with that configuration I don't think it'd take all that much. Soft matter (albeit heavy cows) can derail trains, remember.