A train crash which saw the famous Flying Scotsman hit carriages on a heritage railway line occurred because the driver was not watching the track.  

Two people were taken to hospital following the collision between the iconic locomotive and Belmond’s Royal Scotsman train carriages at Aviemore train station last year.  

A report into the accident concluded that the crash was caused by the 100-year-old steam train reversing with no look-out in place. 

The Strathspey Railway Company, which runs Aviemore station, was blamed for “ineffective management” during the visit of the locomotive.  

The Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB) said that the driver had a “limited” view of the track and was not warned he was approaching the carriages.  

The Flying Scotsman at AviemoreThe Flying Scotsman at Aviemore (Image: RAIB)

Based on previous experience, the driver expected the carriages to be further back, and struck them tender-first at 7mph.  

The crash, on 29 September last year, caused minor damage to the Flying Scotsman, which returned to operation the following week. Two people were taken to hospital as a precaution.  

The RAIB report said: “At 18:05 hrs on Friday 29 September 2023, the steam locomotive Flying Scotsman, travelling tender first, collided with the Royal Scotsman coaches on the approach to platform 3 at Aviemore station on the Strathspey Railway, Badenoch and Strathspey.  

“These coaches, which normally operate on the mainline railway, were due to be hauled on the Strathspey Railway by Flying Scotsman as part of a planned movement to Boat of Garten station. 

“The collision occurred because the driver was not aware of the proximity of the locomotive to the coaches and so did not control its speed accordingly.” 

The RAIB is an agency of the UK Government that independently investigates rail accidents across the country.

Its purpose is not to attribute blame to any person or party, but instead to find the cause of accidents in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in future.


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It added: “This was due to the driver’s view of the track ahead being limited and because, immediately before the collision, no one in the cab warned the driver that the locomotive was approaching the coaches.” 

The report recommended that the Strathspey Railway Company review the arrangements for foreseeable abnormal operations, such as visiting railway vehicles and special events, to ensure that the risks are identified, assessed and mitigated. 

The RAIB also issued a reminder of the importance of train crew maintaining an effective lookout while driving on a line-of-sight basis, and on the need to comply with rules regarding the number of people in a locomotive cab, and ensure that roles during movements are clearly understood.