'Brake issue' sent runaway train through danger signal

The heritage railway line is popular with tourists

A runaway train passed through a danger signal due to "an issue with the brake system", according to a report by the Department for Transport.

The driver was unable to stop the train as it travelled at 10mph down a steep hill through Beddgelert station.

No-one was hurt in the incident on the Welsh Highland Railway in Gwynedd on 16 April 2019.

An investigation report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said the "brakes had been modified".

The Welsh Highland Railway is a single-line railway which connects to the Ffestiniog Railway.

The locomotive travelled through Beddgelert station, a number of level crossings and a danger sign.

It also found that the state of the adjustment of the brakes and the wet conditions on the day prevented the brakes applying the necessary force to stop the train.

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The report made three recommendations to the Ffestiniog Railway Company, which owns both lines, regarding maintenance processes and use of the "deadman" safety system.

It advised the railway company to "improve the way that it manages engineering changes to its assets" and "thoroughly consider the risks involved".

"The RAIB investigation found that the change to the locomotive's brakes had not been adequately documented or controlled," says the report.

"The locomotive did not have a documented brake inspection procedure, and the 'deadman' safety system was not enabled on the locomotive when the runaway occurred.

"RAIB also observed that the railway's investigations of its incidents could be improved to better understand underlying systemic issues."