Front of train destroyed following 'shocking' crash with fallen tree

A driver was left “shaken” after the front of a ScotRail train was destroyed following a crash with a fallen tree in Dundee.

The front of a Dundee to Glasgow train was “horrendously” damaged at Broughty Ferry on Wednesday as Storm Gerrit swept across the country.

The UK’s train drivers’ union ASLEF revealed that the driver was left “shaken” but uninjured.

ASLEF tweeted: “Shocking event that’s happened at BroughtyFerry the outdated HST hit a tree. Driver reacted superbly and is shaken but not hurt.

“We continue dialogue with ScotRail over the future of these trains on the railway.”

North East & Tayside

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The front carriage was destroyed. Supplied

Pictures shared by the union online showed the extent of the damage, with the window at the front of the carriage completely destroyed while large branches and parts of machinery can be seen protruding from the train.

It comes amid several Met Office yellow warnings for the north and north-east being put in place, with storm conditions affecting travel across the country.

Glasgow MSP Paul Sweeney wrote online: “Horrendous tree impact damage to a ScotRail InterCity 125 locomotive today, en route from Dundee to Glasgow. Thankfully, the driver is unharmed.

“It’s sheer luck that this happened in daylight hours and the driver had time to react.”