RAIL investigators will not carry out a full probe into a train accident which led to an historic being demolished.

Instead, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch will compile a “safety digest” about the incident on the Dean Forest Railway on Thursday, August 14.

The accident happened at 10.55 when the footbridge spanning the tracks at St Mary’s Halt was struck and destroyed by an excavator which was on a railway wagon.

In a report on the incident, the RAIB said: “The excavator belonged to the railway and had been loaded at Lydney Junction, but with the boom positioned too high to safely pass under the footbridge.

“A collision occurred and part of the footbridge landed on the train, which included a guard’s van carrying railway volunteers. There were no injuries.”

“The footbridge connected public footpaths on either side of the railway.

“We have undertaken a preliminary examination into the circumstances surrounding this incident.

“Having assessed the evidence which has been gathered to date, we have decided to publish a safety digest.”

The RAIB says that given the number of accidents and near misses reported to it each year, it would impossible to fully investigate them all.

“When we have been notified of an accident or incident, we may decide to carry out a preliminary examination of the circumstances.

The purpose of a preliminary examination is to gather sufficient information and evidence to enable us to make an informed decision on whether or not to conduct a full investigation of the accident or incident.

“The railway industry notifies us of many accidents, incidents and near misses each year.

“We do not investigate all of them.

“We use various criteria to help us decide which ones we will look into.

“Since we could never hope to investigate every accident that is notified to us, the law gives us discretion about whether or not to investigate less serious accidents. “When we decide whether to investigate these, we take into consideration various factors.

“When it is clear that the safety learning from an event has been identified by a previous investigation or relates to compliance with existing rules, we may choose to publish a safety digest, rather than carry out a full investigation.”

The bridge has been placed in storage pending assessment.

It is some 135-years old and was re-opened in 2019 following extensive refurbishment.

The railway between its main base at Norchard and Lydney Junction was closed for a number of days before it was re-opened.

Services are now operating normally along its entire length between Lydney Junction and Parkend.

The railway is preparing for its next big event which is its diesel gala on September 13 and 14.

The star of the show is expected to be a Class 50 locomotive, which turned heads in Monmouth last week when it was spotted on the back of a low loader beside a bus stop before heading into the Forest.

Number 50 021 is named Rodney after the 18th century admiral and will be the first of its class to visit the Forest.

More details are available on www.deanforestrailway.co.uk or the railway’s Facebook page.