Partner of train conductor who died in Stonehaven derailment welcomes Network Rail conviction

Trish Ewen was the partner of conductor Donald Dinnie who died in the rail crash.

The 59-year-old former store worker was devoted to Donald for eight years before the tragedy.

In a statement after the prosecution, she said: “The last three years has completely turned my life upside down.

“Donald and I should be thinking about retiring together and planning the rest of our lives – instead he was taken and I’ve been left to exist alone.

“Life throws challenges at us all but something like this is so incomprehensible that there’s no past experiences to draw on to ease any acceptance or recovery.

“You don’t know what to do, where to turn and there’s genuinely nothing to do but brace yourself for each new day without your loved one.

“It’s right there is criminal accountability for this totally avoidable incident that has affected so many people and families but I believe imposing a fine is counter-productive as it’s essentially the government paying a fine to itself.

“I think any financial penalty would be better invested in improving the railways or making sure all the RAIB report recommendations are acted on.”

Partner of conductor recalls the day of the crash

Recalling the day of the crash, Trish added: “I got a phone call while I was at work to say there was a train accident and I went to a family member’s house and we all sat around the television – we didn’t know what else to do.

“We all just sat there looking at the news footage seeing shots of ambulances and helicopters and fire engines.

“No one had called us so we still had no confirmation if it was Donald’s train – but I knew in my gut it was.

“Despite this gut feeling I still actually expected Donald to be fine – I told myself ‘He is the conductor so he’ll be busy helping the passengers.’

“While later we heard the driver died and that’s when my stomach started turning and I feared the worst.

“I felt dizzy. Like the blood drained from my head.

“My hands and arms felt heavy and shaky and almost disconnected from the rest of my body. I was just in a daze.

“The day started like any other – Donald and I preparing breakfast, talking about our plans for that evening after work…

“I couldn’t understand how things went from that to this.

“I couldn’t understand how Donald was here then gone.

“I couldn’t comprehend how our life together went from normal to over.

“Just like that.”