We’ve all heard of leaves on the line causing railway delays but on Friday evening it was a tortoise on the tracks that was to blame.
A train had to stop and pick up an escaped tortoise called Solomon who had been spotted moving “at pace” along the tracks outside Ascot, Berkshire, at around 6pm. There were delays to services between Ascot in Berkshire and Bagshot in Surrey as he was brought on to the train.
Pictures showed Solomon withdrawn into his shell on the floor of the train and later being carried by two railway staff.
Posting on X, Network Rail Wessex said: “Network Rail teams arranged for the next train heading into Ascot from Aldershot to stop to allow the tortoise to be