A jilted lover killed himself by standing in front of a train driven by his ex-girlfriend, it emerged last night.

Gary Wells, 36, was said to be distraught after splitting from Diane MacDonald three weeks ago.

MacDonald, 29, was powerless to prevent a collision after he stepped on to the track in front of the train she was driving on one of Britain’s most scenic rail routes.

Wells died instantly as he was hit by the train.

MacDonald, the first woman train driver on the West Highland Line in Scotland, was left so distressed that she required sedation after the tragedy, which happened at Inverlochy, near Fort William, on Tuesday morning.

Wells had been in a long-term relationship with MacDonald but friends said their relationship ended around three weeks ago.

Sources said the break-up had left Wells struggling to cope.

Wells is thought to have been working at a local engineering company and had previously worked some evenings and weekends as a pub bouncer.

His family was too distressed yesterday to talk about what happened. In a statement,  MacDonald said last night: ‘The circumstances are extremely upsetting for everyone involved. We would ask the media to please respect our privacy while we come to terms with what has happened.’

British Transport Police confirmed they are investigating the incident.