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Greenock rail crash

1994 crimes in the United Kingdom1994 in ScotlandAccidents and incidents involving Strathclyde Partnership for TransportDerailments in ScotlandGreenock
July 1994 crimesJune 1994 events in the United KingdomRail accident stubsRailway accidents in 1994Scotland rail transport stubsScottish history stubsTrain wrecks caused by sabotageTransport in InverclydeUse British English from May 2017

On 25 June 1994, the 22:45 from Wemyss Bay to Glasgow, in Scotland, 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.The train involved was a refurbished Class 303 Electric Multiple Unit. 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. 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, 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. 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.Following the tragedy, many youths in the surrounding area were questioned by police regarding the incident. 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. Dougan and Houston launched an appeal against their convictions two years later. In September 1996, the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh upheld both convictions.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Greenock rail crash (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

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N 55.94105 ° E -4.77365 °
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PA15 4HU , Overton
Scotland, United Kingdom
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Greenock West

Greenock West, also known simply as the West End, is an area of Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland. The streets are in a grid like layout referred to as blocks as opposed to the irregular street patterns elsewhere in the town. Union Street is the longest before it cuts off into Newark Street. Greenock Academy was located at the far end of Brisbane Street on Madeira Street in the west end, and numerous churches exist within the west end, such as Ardgowan, St Luke's, Old West Kirk, St John's, St George's North, Finnart St Paul's as well as many smaller independent churches. Also located on Finnart Street is the James Watt College. Greenock West railway station lies at the border between the west end and the town centre. Fort Matilda railway station is located at the other edge of the West End, at the foot of the Lyle Hill, near where Gourock begins. In the middle is the famous Tontine Hotel at one end of the green Ardgowan Square with the Ardgowan Bowling Club and two tennis courts and Ardgowan Square Evangelical Church at the other end. The West End is also host to 'Glenpark': home of the 2002 SNCL champions, Greenock Cricket Club. The ground has been credited as one of the most pleasant to play at in the country, and has a slight slope from the East to West end of the field. The club also operates Junior and Lower-league teams under the Greenock or Glenpark XI name, and has full clubhouse facilities. As well as the current railway line, a former rail link led towards Princes Pier, now home to the new Ocean Terminal, where large ocean cruisers and container ships are re-supplied.