Freight train’s ‘miracle’ escape after hitting concrete blocks on line

POLICE say it was a “miracle” that a train stayed on the tracks after striking a pile of concrete blocks deliberately placed there by “reckless” vandals.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Oct 2013, 01:01 BST

The freight train was approaching Blythe Road Bridge in Maltby, Rotherham at 3pm on Saturday when it crashed into several concrete troughing lids.

The lids had been wrapped in cable to hold them together and deliberately placed on the track before being covered in branches to disguise them.

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Pc Richard Ward, investigating officer for British Transport
Police, described the placing
of the concrete blocks on the
line as “a reckless and criminal act”.

He said: “We believe this was a deliberate attempt to derail a train. The fact that the train remained on the tracks after striking this obstruction is quite simply a miracle.

“Unbelievably the freight
train, which was fortunately
only travelling slowly, wasn’t damaged and the driver, who
was extremely shaken, also escaped uninjured. The running
rail was cracked and damaged
by the lids and had to be
repaired.

“The train could have easily derailed, causing serious injuries or even worse; the driver had a lucky escape. The consequences if this had also been a busy commuter service would have been unthinkable.”

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“I would appeal to anyone who may have any information which may be able to assist us in finding those responsible to contact us.”

Anyone with information should call British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 40 50 40 or text on 61016 quoting incident number 348 of 05/10/2013.