Sleeper train halted with emergency button in Edinburgh

A Caledonian Sleeper train had to be brought to a stop using an emergency button in one of its coaches, according to rail accident investigators.

The locomotive and eight coaches went through a junction at Edinburgh's Haymarket and overshot a platform at Waverley before coming to a halt.

A collision between trains was avoided because the route was clear.

The incident on 1 August last year was caused by an issue affecting the coaches' brakes. No-one was hurt.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report said an air isolation cock between the locomotive and the coaches was closed when it should have been open.

The valve became closed when the Edinburgh sleeper train was split from the Glasgow sleeper service at Carstairs station.

The problem was not spotted because it happened after a test of the brakes had been completed.

It only came to light as the driver attempted to slow down on the train's approach to Edinburgh.

The brakes on the locomotive were working, but insufficient to bring the entire train to a stop.

The train passed through the 40mph-limit Haymarket East Junction at 50mph.

In its report, the RAIB said: "Had the route not been clear, it is possible that a collision between passenger trains at significant speed could have occurred at the junction or in Haymarket station."

The train's manager used an emergency device to activate the brakes on the coaches.

The train came to a halt about 650m (2,132ft) beyond its intended stopping point at Edinburgh Waverley's platform 11.

After the train's crew identified the problem the train was safely reversed back to the platform.

The RAIB has made a number of recommendations to prevent a repeat of the incident.