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POLICE SEEK JOGGING RAILWAY TRESPASSER WHO ^LOST HER WAY^ ON FOOTPATH - SHROPSHIRE

Officers from British Transport Police (BTP) are hunting a female jogger who forced a train driver to apply the emergency brakes after he rounded a curve to find her running in the middle of the tracks with her back to the train.

The driver of the 14:06 Shrewsbury to Swansea service was left in shock and unable to continue driving the train after the incident which happened shortly after 3pm yesterday, Monday 15 June, near Bucknell railway station in Shropshire.

The woman managed to jump to the side of the tracks as the train came to a halt but she left the train crew astonished after holding up her hand to apologise and explain she was jogging cross country but had lost her way on a footpath she had been using.

She continued jogging through nearby fields and BTP officers called to the scene were unable to locate her in the remote south Shropshire location.

Sergeant Karl Anderson, of BTP, said: ^It would appear she was a long distance cross country runner who had lost her way on her route and ended up running down the middle of the track between the rails. The train rounded a curve and was travelling at about 60mph when the driver spotted her running with her back to him and the train bearing down on her. He applied the emergency brakes and the train came to a halt, during which time the jogger had stepped to the side of the tracks ^ but she then continued running past the train even after it had come to a standstill. She told the train crew she had lost her route and jogged off through some fields. A search of the area, which is a rural location about 10 miles from Craven Arms, by BTP officers proved negative. We would appeal for anyone who knows who this woman is, or the woman herself, to come forward and speak to us.^

A BTP spokesman added: ^This was a very serious incident which has left a train driver in shock and the consequences could have been far worse had the driver not acted so quickly. Although not physically injured, the train driver was left badly shaken by the incident and was unable to continue with his duties, causing major disruption to services in the area. I cannot emphasise the dangers of trespassing on the railway strongly enough as, unlike road vehicles, trains are unable to stop quickly in an emergency.^

The woman police are trying to trace is described as being about 40 years old, 5ft 6in, wearing a blue vest top with white trim and blue shorts.

Anyone with information should contact BTP on 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Monkey see, monkey do...
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/homepage/Wandering-woman-hitches-ride-high-speed-train/article-1094898-detail/article.html (http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/homepage/Wandering-woman-hitches-ride-high-speed-train/article-1094898-detail/article.html)

A train had to make an emergency stop after a woman decided to walk 35 miles home along a railway track between Bristol and Cheltenham.

The driver had to slam on the brakes when he saw the woman, and stepped down from the cabin to help her aboard before driving her back to the station.

The 38-year-old woman who had shopping bags in hand, walked across six railway lines at about 0900 BST on Saturday.

British Transport Police said they were investigating the incident.

"I can confirm that a 38-year-old woman from Cheltenham has been reported to the Crown Prosecution Service for trespass after she was discovered walking alongside the line near Bristol Parkway railway station," said a spokesman for British Transport Police. "Railway staff escorted her back to the safety of a platform at Bristol Parkway station where she was met by BTP officers who accompanied her on a train to Cheltenham where she was reunited with her family."

Photographs of the woman were taken by a trainspotter who saw her walking the 650m along the tracks before being picked up by the train. John Hobbs, 61, from Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, was waiting on a bridge to photograph a special service due to arrive from Birmingham when he saw the woman.

Train services in the area were halted between 0900 and 0930 BST.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Woman-walks-with-shopping-on-main-London-to-Bristol-train-line/Media-Gallery/200906415315271?lpos=UK_News_News_in_Picture_UK_News_Region_2&lid=GALLERY_15315271_Woman_walks_with_shopping_on_main_London_to_Bristol_train_line

 Heard through the grapevine the driver has been suspended.

 Find that difficult to believe, or does anyone know different ?

NOTE - Henry, I've moved your post here, as a continuation of this topic. Hope that's ok - Lee

 

Reported as driving the other day, so appears he wasn't suspended.