Up to 100 passengers had to be evacuated from a train in Cupar on Thursday afternoon after a carriage caught fire, causing significant disruption on the main east coast line.
Three fire crews from Cupar, Auchtermuchty and Glenrothes were called to the incident at Cupar railway station shortly after 3pm. It appears a mechanical fault underneath one of the carriages caused the train’s running gear to overheat.
Fortunately all of those on board the train managed to make it safely off the train before the fire took hold, with staff directing passengers to alternative forms of transport.
ScotRail was able to begin moving the train shortly after 5pm but warned services will continue to be delayed for some time.
UPDATE: #Cupar disruption is expected until 19:00, sorry if you have been affected.
If delayed by 30+mins, please keep your ticket & claim here: https://t.co/TOmiGQADRv ^AE— ScotRail (@ScotRail) February 1, 2018
The firm has since got the affected train moving, but said delays and alterations to services will continue until 7pm
Some eyewitnesses said many people who had been on the train had been left “visibly shaken” following their eventful journey.
One passenger, who did not wish to be named, said she had been on her way home to Inverkeithing when the drama unfolded.
“We were just sitting on the train as usual when it pulled into Cupar and stopped like normal,” she said.
“But you could tell something was wrong and we were sitting for quite a while.
“Then all of a sudden people said they could smell smoke, which is when we were all told to get off. It was pretty scary to be honest as we didn’t know what was going on.
“I couldn’t see any flames or anything at first but when we were waiting for a taxi we could see the flames under the middle carriage. I’m just glad everyone is safe.
“There were a few people going to try and catch flights, so they had to jump in a taxi fairly quickly.”
The fire prompted emergency services to cordon off access to Cupar railway station and the surrounding area while firefighters extinguished the blaze, and the incident caused lengthy delays for passengers on the main Aberdeen to Edinburgh line.
Replacement bus services had to be laid on as the train remained stationary for a number of hours, with rail services in both directions either cancelled completely or delayed.
Traveller Ann Robertson, 75, was on her way home to Dundee when her train was stopped just outside Cupar.
She said: “We didn’t get into Cupar because of the train on the other line.
“Safety comes first and the guard has been on the intercom a lot, keeping us updated about what the situation is.
“There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Meanwhile, student Ruth Welsh, from Perth, arrived at Cupar station hoping to get a train home at around 4pm – to no avail.
“I’ve been studying here in Cupar and this was the first time I’ve tried to get the train home to Perth,” she said.
“It’s sod’s law that something like this would happen, and I have no idea what I’m going to do now.
“As long as everyone is OK, that’s the main thing.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We were alerted at 3.06pm on Thursday, February 1 to reports of a small fire which had taken hold underneath a train carriage.
“Operations Control mobilised three fire appliances to Cupar Railway Station, where all passengers had safely left the train prior to firefighters’ arrival.”
Just been evacuated off the @ScotRail to Edinburgh at Cupar. Hat off to the conductor who has been absolutely super in her quick yet relaxed approach to keeping everyone safe!
— AndyMcMe (@AndyMcMe) February 1, 2018
Following the incident, a ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “Due to a broken down train, services between Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen are currently disrupted.
“Anyone who has been delayed by over 30 minutes is entitled to compensation under our Delay Repay scheme. To claim, simply keep hold of your ticket and visit scotrail.co.uk.”
For more information on how ScotRail services have been affected, click here.
