Murdo has welcomed proposed mitigation measures suggested by Network Rail following a car crashing on to the railway line near Dunkeld.
He wrote to Network Rail to raise his concerns after the car crashed through a fence on a railway bridge and down an embankment on to the rail tracks near Murthly Sawmill, near Dunkeld, on September 11.
The car windscreen was smashed as a result and Network Rail were called to the scene along with Police Scotland. There were no reports of any injuries to the motorist.
Several rail services were cancelled as a result of the closure of the track.
Commenting, Murdo said: “I wrote to Network Rail as there had been a report in a local newspaper that quoted a local resident who claimed that ‘a car apparently hits the wall just about every year.’ I was very concerned to hear this so decided to ask Network Rail if they will be involved in assessing whether any safety measures will be installed at the site of the accident to try to ensure incidents like this don’t occur again.
“In their response to my letter, I was pleased to read that Network Rail will meet Perth and Kinross Council on October 8 to discuss potential mitigation measures that may be introduced to reduce the risk of another accident at this location.
“Network Rail pointed out that the frequency of incidents at this location is ‘lower than suggested,’ with three confirmed previous accidents in 2010, 2020 and 2024. I was pleased to read that although their assessment indicates a low overall risk at this location, they will engage with the Council to explore ways to further minimise the impact on both road and rail safety.”
