Greenock rail crash

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox public transit accident On 25 June 1994, the 22:45 from Wemyss Bay to Glasgow, in Scotland,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> derailed and smashed into a bridge after hitting concrete blocks placed deliberately on the railway by vandals outside of where Drumfrochar railway station would be opened 4 years later.Template:Sfn<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The train involved was a refurbished Class 303 Electric Multiple Unit.Template:Sfn The concrete blocks were cable-trough covers, which were placed across the rails of the single-track line by two vandals who had climbed down to the railway to urinate on their way home.Template:Sfn The railway at this point is on a curve, going to the right as the train was travelling.

The leading bogie of the EMU derailed and the train immediately collided with the solid structure of the overbridge,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> crushing the driver's cab, killing driver Arthur McKee, 35, and also killing passenger Alan Nicol, 21, who was seated immediately behind the cab, with his back to the partition.Template:Sfn Alan Nicol had taken this location to reduce the risk of injury from broken glass should the train be stoned by vandals, which was a common occurrence in that area. Including the two trainstaff, the train was carrying six people.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Following the tragedy, many youths in the surrounding area were questioned by police regarding the incident.Template:Sfn After a trial by the High Court, Gary Dougan and Craig Houston, two 17-year-olds from Greenock were each imprisoned for 15 years for culpable homicide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Dougan and Houston launched an appeal against their convictions two years later. In September 1996, the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh upheld both convictions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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