Rail Companies Sued for More Than £5m Over Llangennech Oil Spill

Network Rail is suing two rail companies for more than £5 million over a major fuel spill caused by the derailment of a freight train near Llangennech in Carmarthenshire.

The legal claim, filed in the High Court earlier this month, targets DB Cargo UK and Touax Rail over the August 2020 incident, which resulted in 10 of the train's 25 wagons leaving the tracks.

The derailment caused around 446,000 litres of fuel to spill, with 116,000 litres catching fire and another 330,000 litres flowing into surrounding wetlands.

The affected area included environmentally protected land designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation.

Around 300 people were evacuated from the area as firefighters battled the blaze, which took almost two days to extinguish.

Network Rail alleges inadequate maintenance

Network Rail's legal claim alleges that the derailment happened because one of the wagons had not been maintained with reasonable care.

The organisation is seeking damages from Touax, which owned the wagon, alleging inadequate maintenance.

It is also pursuing DB Cargo UK, claiming the company breached a contractual duty to ensure reasonable care was taken in maintaining the wagon.

Neither company has yet filed a defence, and a court hearing is expected.

Investigation found brake defect

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) examined the incident and concluded in January 2022 that the derailment was caused by a set of wheels locking on one of the wagons.

Investigators said the locking was likely linked to a brake defect and identified “inadequate maintenance practices” during their investigation.

The RAIB does not determine legal blame or liability but made nine recommendations aimed at preventing similar accidents.

The train was travelling from Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire to Theale, near Reading, when it derailed. It was travelling at about 38 mph and was carrying up to 75.5 tonnes of fuel.

Major environmental recovery operation

The environmental consequences were severe.

About 30,000 tonnes of fuel-contaminated soil had to be removed following the accident, while the railway line remained closed for six months and did not fully reopen until almost a year after the derailment.

Network Rail previously described the recovery operation as one of the largest environmental clean-ups it had undertaken.

The scale of the spill raised fears that the incident could have resulted in a much wider environmental catastrophe.

The case will now determine whether Network Rail can recover more than £5 million from the companies involved in the operation and maintenance of the freight wagons.

Neither DB Cargo UK nor Network Rail commented on the latest legal action, while Touax has been approached for comment.