NETWORK RAIL SUES FIRMS FOR £5M OVER 2020 FUEL SPILL

Network Rail has filed a legal claim against DB Cargo UK and Touax Rail seeking damages exceeding £5m following a train derailment near Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, in August 2020. The claim, submitted to the High Court earlier this month, alleges that negligent maintenance of the train's wagons caused the incident. Network Rail contends that Touax Rail failed to maintain one wagon with reasonable care, whilst DB Cargo UK breached its contractual duty to ensure proper maintenance standards were upheld.

The derailment caused ten of the train's twenty-five wagons to leave the tracks, resulting in the spillage of 446,000 litres of fuel. Of this amount, 116,000 litres ignited in a blaze whilst 330,000 litres drained into surrounding wetlands designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch concluded in January 2022 that the incident resulted from a locked wheel set on one wagon, likely caused by a brake defect stemming from inadequate maintenance practices. About 300 people were evacuated from the area; no injuries were recorded.

The affected railway line closed for six months following the derailment and did not fully reopen for almost a year. Network Rail excavated 30,000 tonnes of fuel-soaked soil as part of its environmental recovery operation. According to Bill Kelly, then-Network Rail Wales route director, the cleanup represented one of the largest environmental recovery operations the organisation has undertaken, and the derailment risked causing a "total environmental disaster". DB Cargo UK and Touax Rail have yet to file their defences to the claim, with a hearing scheduled to take place.