They were taken to Dundee's Ninewells hospital where they remain critically ill. The parents of the girl witnessed the accident from a following car. Locals say that the crossing is normally very safe and used frequently by fishermen. A spokesperson for railtrack says that the crossing appears to have been working correctly. The Edinburgh to Inverness train was carrying 30 passengers, none of whom were injured in the incident although several were said to be suffering from shock.
Police say their continuing inquiries into the cause of the crash.
The MSP for the area, John Swinney, expressed his deep concern at the accident and said he will press for safety improvements. The level crossing has an automated barrier and accident investigators are trying to discover how the train ploughed into the car. A Railtrack spokesperson said all systems appear to have been functioning correctly. The train was not derailed and all the passengers were taken by bus to Pitlochry railway station. Police accident investigators are appealing for witnesses to the incident.