Rail workers flee runaway train

The runaway train ran for two miles

Railway workers had to run for their lives when a runaway train hurtled down the line towards them.

The locomotive travelled for two miles after setting off from Edinburgh's Waverley Station before coming to a halt, it has been revealed.

The driverless engine, weighing 85 tonnes, only ended its unscheduled journey when it was switched into a siding in the east of the city.

The incident happened at 0330 GMT on Monday.

Network Rail confirmed that 30 maintenance staff were warned by mobile 'phone to get out of the way.

It frightened everyone to death and they were dancing all over the place trying to get out of the way

Alan Heath
RMT Union

No-one was injured and an inquiry is continuing into the incident.

Checks are being carried out by the train operator EWS, Network Rail and Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate.

Preliminary findings suggest a fault in the locomotive's hydraulics, which operate the parking brake, may have been partly to blame.

A spokesman for EWS said the rest of its fleet has now been checked

Other companies which use the class 90 locomotive, have been warned.

Alan Heath, the regional organiser for the RMT railworkers union, said: "A permanent-way gang working in the area suddenly saw this thing coming at them from out of the gloom.

"Irregular movement"

"It frightened everyone to death and they were dancing all over the place trying to get out of the way."

Mr Heath said: "It was very, very serious and there will have to be a full inquiry."

Track workers "had to jump for their lives".

Network Rail confirmed there was "an irregular movement of an item of rolling stock".

It added that all relevant Network Rail safety systems were "activated as appropriate".

The locomotive came to rest at the city's Craigintinney Depot.

The Class 90 electric locomotive is owned by the train operator English Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) and had most recently been used to haul ScotRail sleeper trains.

A spokesman for EWS said: "I can tell you that a comprehensive investigation is already under way.

"We are treating this with the utmost seriousness."