A very rare movement I’d never seen before on Dawlish seawall 28/5/25#hst#class57#gwr#trainspotting

On 28 May 2025, a notable incident occurred involving the GWR Night Riviera Sleeper and a Castle Class HST (High Speed Train) in the South West of England. Key Event Details The Sleeper Failure: On the morning of 28 May 2025, the "down" sleeper service from London Paddington to Penzance, hauled by Class 57 locomotive 57604 (Pendennis Castle), suffered a failure at Exeter St Davids. The cause was reported as a severe fuel leak. HST Recovery: A GWR Castle Class 2+4 HST set was used to recover the failed sleeper train, towing it to Laira Traction & Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot (T&RSMD) in Plymouth. Return to Service: After repairs at Laira, the Class 57 (57604) re-emerged in the late afternoon. It worked as an Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) move (headcode 5Z50) from Laira to Long Rock Depot in Penzance, running approximately 60 minutes late. Notable Sighting: The train was spotted and photographed by members of the Cornwall Railway Society passing locations such as Apex Bridge (Scorrier) and the semaphores at St Erth around 18:15.