A west Wales steam railway has been fined £18,000 for a lack of planning, management and supervision, after a volunteer broke a leg in a fall from a coach.

Carmarthenshire-based Gwili Railway Company Ltd has pleaded guilty to an offence, under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, following an investigation and prosecution by industry regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

In addition to the fine, the company will also have to pay costs of more than £18,000; the total amount topping £36,000.

The incident involving a volunteer for heritage-train operator Gwili Railway Company Ltd, happened on June 16 of last year at the company’s Llwyfan Cerrig Yard.

During a task to pull tent fabric over a frame erected over two railway coaches, the volunteer slipped and fell from the roof of a Mark 1 coach to the ground.

The volunteer suffered a broken right leg which required an operation and several days’ stay in hospital.

A Prohibition Notice was served by an ORR inspector on June 28, 2022, following this incident.

The ORR's investigation found that there was a lack of planning, management and supervision of the specific task, that no measures had been put in place to protect against a fall from the carriage roof and that none of the volunteers had competence in working at height.

The ORR also stated that a ladder used by the volunteer to climb onto the carriage roof was in poor condition and not fit for use.

The work activity was carried out over several days and, as a consequence, the risk of falling from height was present for a sustained period; several volunteers and one employee of the company were exposed to this risk.

HM Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser said: “Working at height accidents are too frequent in the heritage sector and Gwili Railway Company Ltd is fortunate its inadequate measures did not result in more serious injury.

“We strongly encourage each company to ensure that work activities involving work at height are properly planned to ensure the risk of harm is minimised.”

Gwili Railway Company Ltd was issued a fine of £18,000, with a third reduction for an early guilty plea, and a further reduction for other mitigating factors.

The company was also ordered to pay ORR’s full costs of £18,557.32.