In The News: 13th August

Click here to listen to the latest news on Thursday, 13th August 2020

Today the newspapers feature the tragic news that a train driver, conductor and passenger died and six others were injured when a train came off the rails and slid down an embankment near Stonehaven in Scotland.

The Times reports that the derailment following torrential rain yesterday at a spot that had been identified as being ‘greatly affected by earthslips’.

The paper says that Boris Johnson has called for an investigation into the impact of torrential rain on infrastructure after the tragedy, the first fatal derailment in more than a decade.

The Queen has sent a message of condolence saying ‘it is with great sadness that I heard of the train derailment’ and that the entire Royal Family ‘join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to the families of those who have died and those who have been injured’.

Meanwhile the Daily Telegraph reports that the 6.38am ScotRail service to Glasgow Central is thought to have encountered two landslides on tracks following a night of thunderstorms and torrential rain.

The article also features comments from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, saying his department was on hand to provide any support needed to the Scottish government.

He says that ‘we will ensure that lessons are learned from this tragic incident once the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has carried out its investigation’.

We’ll be updating the website with the latest from the investigation here.

In other rail news and commuters face an increase in season ticket prices of around 1 per cent in January, economic forecasts show.

That’s according to an article in the i paper, which says the cap on the annual rise in most regulated fares is linked to the previous July’s Retail Prices Index measure of inflation, with the latest figure due to be announced next week.

Pressure group the Campaign for Better Transport has called for the 2021 fare rise to be cancelled, claiming it was ‘counterproductive’ to efforts to encourage passengers back to the railways.

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Photo credit: British Transport Police

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