The Flying Scotsman locomotive collided with the Royal Scotsman at a station in the Highlands, resulting in two people being treated in hospital. The incident took place on the Strathspey Railway heritage line at Aviemore Station at a low speed. A man and woman sustained minor injuries and were taken to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. Other people assessed at the scene didn’t require any treatment.
According to Belmond, a “shunting incident” occurred while the Flying Scotsman was coupling with the company’s Royal Scotsman carriages. At the time, the carriages were stationary on the railway line. A spokesman for Belmond said, “appropriate authorities were notified immediately, and we are co-operating with their investigations.” The accident is currently being investigated by the authorities.
ScotRail stated that services are now running normally through Aviemore. Emergency response measures were focused on the private heritage line, nearby the main line which links the Highlands with the central belt. The Flying Scotsman was scheduled to undertake trips this weekend.
The steam locomotive, built-in Doncaster in 1923, was restored and unveiled last year ahead of a centenary celebration series. The 97-tonne locomotive is now owned by the National Railway Museum in York and is operated by the National Railway Museum but maintained by Riley & Son (E) Ltd. This year, the locomotive is visiting railway stations around the UK and has spent time at the National Railway Museum.
Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf conveyed his gratitude to the emergency services on social media and wished the affected individuals a speedy recovery. Police Scotland said the investigation is still underway to determine the sequence of events that led to the collision. Network Rail urged passengers to verify before traveling as it is a heritage railway line, and the incident didn’t affect the company’s infrastructure
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