£1MILLION FOR TRAIN CRASH FAMILIES

Lawyers settle case out of court as survivors look to move on from tragedy

- MARCELLO MEGA

FAMILIES of two men who died in the Stonehaven train crash and five survivors secured compensation totalling almost £1million yesterday.

Network Rail admitted guilt at the High Court in Aberdeen last month and was ordered to pay £6.7 million, the largest fine handed to a Scottish public body.

Lord Matthews said he would have fined the rail operator £10million had they taken the case to proof.

Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died when the Aberdeen to Glasgow service derailed at Carmont, near Stonehaven, after hitting a landslide.

Relatives of those who died have spoken about the impact of the disaster. Trish Ewen, widow of Donald, and Ray McCullough, father of the driver, said the fine was "not enough", and there should have been "criminal accountability".