Real Estate
Home›Real Estate›Industry›Network Rail sues rail firms over £5m fuel spill after…
Network Rail sues rail firms over £5m fuel spill after derailment
The lawsuit stems from an Aug 2020 derailment near Llangennech that spilled 446,000 litres of fuel into wetlands tied to a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.
The UK rail infrastructure operator Network Rail is suing DB Cargo UK and Touax Rail for more than £5m over a fuel spill linked to a train derailment, which it said threatened an environmental disaster at a protected site.
According to court documents filed earlier this month, the Aug 2020 incident derailed 10 wagons out of 25 near Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, leading to 446,000 litres of fuel spilling. About 300 people were evacuated due to a blaze, and around 116,000 litres of fuel ignited while roughly 330,000 litres flowed into surrounding wetlands within a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.
Network Rail said the derailment occurred because a wagon was not maintained with reasonable care, and it is seeking damages for negligence. It is also pursuing DB Cargo UK for, it alleges, breaching a contractual duty related to maintenance of the wagon.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch concluded in January 2022 that a set of wheels on one wagon likely locked, potentially after brake-related defects, citing inadequate maintenance practices. Network Rail also pointed to the operational impact, including a six-month line closure, a delayed full reopening nearly a year later, and excavation of 30,000 tonnes of fuel-soaked soil.