The Invergowrie train crash happened at Invergowrie in Scotland on October 22, 1979. The accident killed 5 people and injured 50 others. The 08:44 passenger train from Glasgow to Dundee had broken down, and was run into at around 60 mph by the 09:35 express from Glasgow to Aberdeen. The impact threw the last four coaches of the Dundee train over the sea wall and into the Firth of Tay.

A semaphore signal at Longforgan, which should have been protecting the broken down train, had failed to return completely to the horizontal position. It apparently misled the driver of the 09:35 into thinking he had a clear indication.

Contributing factors

• The mechanical starting signal had no adjuster for the pull wire.
• The mechanical starting signal had no repeater.
• The mechanical starting signal had no Automatic Warning System (AWS) which might have given a warning.
• The mechanical starting signal had no stick circuit which might have failed any track circuit .
• The mechanical starting signal had no TPWS which would have stopped the train at the starting signal.

See Also

• List of rail accidents (world wide)
• List of British rail accidents

External link

Dundee Evening Telegraph - answers a letter and has a photo of the incident.