TRAINS are running once again past the site of the fatal derailment south of Stonehaven in August, when a train struck debris from a landslip. Two members of railway staff and a passenger lost their lives.

Network Rail has replaced more than 500m of track, 70m of bridge parapets and 400m of telecoms cables.

Difficult access to the remote site near Carmont meant that engineers first had to build a 900-metre road and temporary bridges over the surrounding farmland to bring in specialist lifting equipment. Drainage systems have also been renewed and improved.

Scotland’s Railway managing director Alex Hynes said: ‘We continue to work closely with accident investigators as we seek to learn the lessons of this tragedy and make our railway as safe as possible for our people and our passengers.’