A RAILWAY worker clearing vegetation from the line between Letterston and Fishguard narrowly avoided being hit by a train.

The track worker was part of a small team who were clearing vegetation from the areas around the railway line on the morning of January 4.

A passenger train approached the area where the team was working at around 9.46am, coming “around a tight curve at around 53mph”.

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After seeing the person on the track, the train driver sounded the horn and immediately pulled the brakes.

The person on the track got clear of the line around two seconds before the train went past.

Following the incident, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch opened an investigation in to the near miss.

“We have undertaken a preliminary examination into the circumstances surrounding this incident,” a spokesperson said.

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

“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 Department of Transport states.

A Rail Accident Investigation Branch statement read: “The planned system of work mandated that the track workers were to remain at least two metres from the open line.”

The statement said that the person on the track was the person in charge and controller of site safety for the team.

More information can be found at gov.uk/raib-reports.