AN investigation has started after three people died and six were injured in yesterday’s Aberdeenshire rail crash.
The driver and conductor – named locally as Brett McCullough and Donald Dinnie – as well as a passenger died when the train derailed near Stonehaven yesterday morning.
It is thought the train hit a landslide following heavy rain and thunderstorms, which caused widespread disruption across Scotland on Tuesday night.
Investigators are working to identify the exact cause of the derailment, which was reported shortly before 10am.
The investigation involves British Transport Police, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and inspectors from the Office of Rail and Road.
READ MORE: Conductor is among three dead as train derails in Aberdeenshire
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson is due to visit the site of the crash later today.
Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Matheson responded to media reports that inspectors were warned about a rise in landslips in the weeks leading to the crash.
He said: "What I do know is that the rail network are experiencing increasing challenges across different parts of the routes - not just here in Scotland but right across the UK due to what is an increasing number of very intense localised weather events that have a significant impact on the infrastructure that they have within the rail network."
He added recent years have seen “significant incidents”, including when part of the West Highland line near Crianlarich was washed away after heavy rain.
He also told the programme: "My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by this, particularly to the families and friends of those who were killed in this incident yesterday.
"My thoughts are very much with them and I also hope those injured in the course of this incident are able to make a speedy recovery."
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will also visit the scene of the tragic accident later.
Andrew Haines, the chief executive of Network Rail, is expected to cut short a family holiday to travel to Stonehaven.
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