A clutch of new born ducklings was saved by the prompt intervention of ScotRail staff.
The brood was spotted wandering along tracks at Queen Street station in Glasgow by Ian Kinning, a ScotRail catering attendant, as his train pulled into the station. Two fitters, engineers Derek Adamson and John Robertson joined in the rescue.
Says Mr Robertson, ‘I was on the track working on a train at the time so I had already closed the line where the ducklings were walking, which was quite convenient. There was a train due into the platform four minutes after we removed the last duckling from the tracks, so I’m just glad there was a happy ending.’
The ducklings are being looked after by the Scottish SPCA at Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Trust in Ayrshire. Jean MacKay of the SPCA praised the efforts of staff. ‘These ducklings are very lucky to be alive and I’d like to praise the quick- thinking staff who managed to safely contain them all before contacting us for assistance.’
Says station duty manager Jennifer O’Neill, ‘The ducklings were adorable – they really made my day. It took about five minutes to get them all off the tracks because they were running away in different directions.’ Concerned officials are still trying to trace the mother.