‘Blood-stained passenger’ on UK prepare leaves driver ‘fearing for his life’
A train driver was reportedly “fearing for his life” when confronted with a “blood-stained passenger”.
The passenger allegedly climbed aboard the cab of an empty Heathrow Express train in West London on Saturday (November 8).
The driver reportedly managed to flee from the train cab but was shaken by the encounter.
The London Paddington-Reading out-of-service Class 387 train was stopped at a red signal near Southall East Junction at approximately 11.47pm following reports of a trespasser, according to Rail Magazine.
The intruder then allegedly made his way to the front of the train, activating passenger alarms, before gaining entry to the cab, the publication reports.
(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Whilst the driver is understood to have been terrified, they managed to alert the GWR Control team, reports MyLondon.
British Transport Police subsequently detained the man under the Mental Health Act.
GWR has described the “unsettling” incident as being swiftly brought under control.
The company has confirmed it is conducting an internal investigation into what occurred.
A Great Western Railway spokesperson said: “We are investigating after a person gained access to an out-of-service Class 387 train over the weekend. No customers were on board at the time, and while clearly an unsettling incident, it was quickly brought under control.
“The driver on board raised the alarm immediately with our Control team, and the man was detained by police shortly afterwards.”
A British Transport Police spokesperson revealed: “Officers were called to the line near to Southall railway station, just before midnight on Saturday 8 November, following reports of a trespasser on the tracks acting erratically and threatening a member of railway staff.
(Image: PA)
“Officers attended and a man was detained under the Mental Health Act and remains in hospital.”
The alarming episode occurred following a unrelated knife rampage on an LNER service travelling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross, which was forced to divert to Huntingdon, leaving ten people wounded.
Railway employee Samir Zitouni, 48, sustained life-threatening wounds whilst attempting to tackle the knifeman.
Anthony Williams, 32, of no fixed abode, faces ten charges of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm, and one count of possession of a bladed article.
He was also hit with an additional attempted murder charge and possession of a bladed article relating to an incident at Pontoon Dock DLR station on 1 November.
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