[2] The severe weather had caused significant disruption across East Scotland with a number of other rail services being either curtailed or cancelled.

[7] A Network Rail report from 2014 included Carmont in a "list of sites which in recent years have been greatly affected by earthslips”.

The track operator's report said improvement work had been carried out at Carmont, specifically, "remediation of cutting slope following emergency, after mudslide due to flooding".

[9][10] At around the same time of the incident, Network Rail Scotland shared video footage of a landslip across the railway line in the Carmont area.

[4] Whilst travelling south on the double track main line which runs between Aberdeen and Dundee,[13] at 06:59,[16] the driver stopped the train after the signaller at Carmont Signal Box[13][b] passed on a message from the driver of another train that a landslip had blocked the line between Carmont and Laurencekirk.

The mobile operations manager reported the train in sight, and carried out the necessary work to allow the stricken service to traverse the track.

The train then crossed the line and headed back north to Aberdeen at 09:36,[17] by which time the weather had cleared to "bright sunshine".

[23] Contractors were working to protect the bridge over the River Carron at the time, and were able to avoid being hit by the derailed vehicles.

[4] The railway employee who had been travelling as a passenger, despite suffering minor injuries herself,[15] walked back along the track to the nearest line-side telephone, to raise the alarm to Carmont signal box, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) down the line.

[3] A rapid relief team set up a tent providing food and drink for emergency service personnel.

[17] At the time of the accident, engineering works were ongoing, to repair and reinforce the foundations of the railway bridge, which had deteriorated and suffering from water scour of the footings.

[35][36] The firefighting and casualty evacuation response was greatly aided by the temporary access road, standing area and ramp constructed as part of these works.

[citation needed] Smoke from the fire was blown away from the emergency services assembly point at the top of the temporary ramp.

[40] Nicola Whyte, the off-duty conductor who walked along the tracks to raise the alarm, was given a "special recognition" at the Evening Express' Aberdeen's Champion Awards.

[25] The Independent Press Standards Organisation received a "high volume" of complaints about a front-page headline in the 13 August edition of the Scottish Sun, referring to the derailed train as the "Death Express".

[42] An opinion piece in Rail magazine, by its editor Nigel Harris, criticised the Scottish Sun and other sections of the press for their poor journalism, particularly their grasp of the technicalities of railway operations.

[45] The army lent a tracked armoured recovery vehicle (a CRARRV) to move the carriages within reach of the crane.

[4] Once recovered, the vehicles were taken to a secure compound at Glasgow Works to allow the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) to gather further evidence.

[55][56] Following the publication of the RAIB's final report in March 2022, drivers' union ASLEF called for the withdrawal of High Speed Trains.

[59] On 27 April 2022, a motion by ASLEF calling for a public enquiry into the accident was unanimously endorsed at the Scottish Trades Union Conference in Aberdeen.

In July, it was revealed that the group had still not met, a situation criticised by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers.

[47] On 13 August 2020, the then Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, ordered Network Rail to produce an interim report on the "wider issues" that may have resulted in the crash.

[26] It was reported that the investigation recognised several factors that contributed to the accident, including faulty drainage systems, which, in 2011/2012, Carillion failed to construct to the required design.

[77] Network Rail Scotland issued a statement, quoting Alex Hynes, managing director of Scotland's Railway:[78] The Carmont derailment and the tragic loss of Christopher Stuchbury, Donald Dinnie and Brett McCullough was a terrible day for their families, everyone involved, and for the railway network.