30th July 1984
Passengers killed when train hits a cow
All six carriages of a locomotive train were derailed when the engine struck a cow close to Polmont railway station. Part of the cow became wedged under the leading wheels of the front carriage, lifting them up, after which the train, which was navigating a bend, crashed onto its side.
Some of the carriages cartwheeled over one another, and the passengers were thrown around, and even out of the windows. Thirteen were killed and a further 61 were injured.
A memorial to the dead was unveiled at Polmont station in 2009, to mark the 25th anniversary of the accident.
Other events that occured in July
