An investigation has been launched after a partial derailment during the Swanage Railway Festival

An investigation has been launched after a historic locomotive partially derailed during a festival on a Swanage Railway.

The diesel locomotive, a 1968-built ex-British Rail Class 50 No. 50 026 ‘Indomitable’, was partially derailed at Corfe Castle station on Saturday May 11 during the annual Diesel Gala and Beer Festival.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has been informed and is investigating the cause of the incident.

It happened at around 6.30pm when a passenger train from the north to Harman’s Cross and Swanage pulled into the station.

No passengers were injured and there was no damage to the train’s carriages.

Saturday was the second day of the three-day festival, which is now in its 17th year. Passengers returned to Swanage after train services were suspended in the evening.

Specialist contractors got the locomotive back on track, which was completed in the early hours of Sunday 12th May.

Indomitable has been decommissioned and is being inspected for any damage resulting from the incident.

Meanwhile, services on Sunday have been changed so that eleven trains will run on a shortened five and a half mile route between Swanage and Norden rather than the four mile route to the River Frome.

The Jurassic Crompton rail tour from Swanage to Eastleigh and London Waterloo, which arrived on Thursday May 9th, will go ahead as planned on Sunday afternoon.

Gavin Johns, chairman of the Swanage Railway Company, said: “The Government’s Rail Accident Investigation Department has been informed of the incident and we have liaised with the RAIB regarding the recovery of the diesel locomotive and the RAIB’s investigation into the cause of the partial derailment of the diesel locomotive.”

“While the RAIB is investigating the incident – ​​and following discussions with the RAIB – our scheduled train services for Sunday 12 May have been changed.”