Waterloo station: Man chases dog down electrified train tracks, leaving commuters stranded as services suspended
'The dog was much faster and the man was looking rather tired,' says passenger caught up in rush hour chaos
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Train services out of Britain's busiest station were suspended on Thursday evening after a man was seen chasing a dog along electrified tracks.
All lines in and out of London Waterloo were blocked at about 7pm due to trespass, South Western Railway said.
"Disruption is expected until the end of the day," it said on Twitter.
Passengers said power had been switched off to trains on the line, which uses an electrified "third" rail.
Video shared on social media showed a man running along the tracks at the approach to the station.
"We saw a dog running down the track and then, 20 seconds later, a man running after it," said passenger Adam Willmott, 23. "The dog was much faster and the man was looking rather tired."
It was like being stuck in a sauna – but fully clothed and with no way out
He said his London-bound train had been stationary for more than 20 minutes with no power.
"We have no air conditioning and it is just getting hotter and hotter," he said. "The train manager said he doesn't know when we will move."
A spokesman for South Western Railway said: "I can confirm that the trespass incident involves an individual chasing a dog down the rail lines and that services have been held between Waterloo and Vauxhall stations. The British Transport Police have been called to handle the incident."
It follows earlier disruption at London Euston and London St Pancras because of heat-related problems on tracks.
Press Association
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments