Hero rail worker crawled through train wreckage to raise alarm

AN OFF-DUTY rail worker has emerged as the hero of the Stonehaven train crash as Prince Charles visited the scene to thank emergency crews.

- Conor Riordan

Injured Nicola Whyte, 31, managed to crawl from the wreckage and trek more than a mile to a signal box to alert authorities to the tragedy which killed three people on Wednesday.

Train driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died when the 6.38 am ScotRail train from Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street was derailed by a landslip near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.

Six others were taken to hospital, four of whom have been discharged.

The remote location meant phone signals were extremely poor and Ms Whyte’s efforts were praised for potentially saving other lives.

Derailed