On This Day in 2010, Carrbridge Freight Train Derailment

On this day in 2010, a southbound freight train derailed at Carrbridge on the Highland Main Line in the Scottish Highlands during severe winter weather. The service, running from Inverness to Grangemouth on behalf of Stobart Rail, was hauled by Class 66 locomotive 66048. As the train descended the steep 1 in 60 gradient from Slochd Summit, it failed to stop and passed a signal at danger. It was diverted by trap points at the north end of Carrbridge station, causing the locomotive and several wagons to leave the rails and plunge down an embankment into a wooded area.

Despite the dramatic nature of the derailment, the two crew members on board escaped with only minor injuries. The incident caused significant damage to railway infrastructure and nearby private property, and the Highland Main Line was closed through Carrbridge for more than a week while recovery operations and repairs were carried out. The remote location and harsh winter conditions made the recovery particularly challenging, with heavy snow and low temperatures affecting access to the site.

A subsequent investigation found that the train’s braking performance had been severely reduced by snow and ice entering brake components during the journey. This loss of braking effectiveness, combined with the steep gradient and the way brake tests had been undertaken en route, meant the crew were unaware of the extent of the problem until it was too late. The derailment led to changes in guidance and procedures relating to the operation of freight trains in extreme winter conditions, particularly on steeply graded routes.

Locomotive 66048 was badly damaged in the derailment and did not return to service. After being recovered from the embankment, it was taken for assessment, where it was decided that repair was not economically viable. Its engine and other usable components were removed for reuse, but the locomotive was never fully scrapped. The stripped bodyshell survived in storage for many years and remains extant, marking the Carrbridge derailment as the event that ended 66048’s operational life.