Mark Hopwood, Great Western Railway’s managing director, took to LinkedIn to deliver a cautionary new year message after the cab of one of the operator’s HSTs was struck by a tree.
On New Year’s Eve, the 18:57 Paddington to Plymouth service was forced to stop outside of Plymouth after a tree fell and seriously damaged the train’s cab.
Thankfully, the driver, although shaken, was left unhurt and there were no passenger injuries but it serves as a reminder of the risks – sometimes unusual – that front line staff face.
The HST was eventually hauled to safety, arriving at Plymouth almost two and a half hours late. Unfortunately, it was a memorable New Year’s Eve for all the wrong reasons for the passengers onboard, but the outcome could have been a lot worse.
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