A loose horse was spotted walking across train tracks in the West Midlands on Sunday morning, causing chaos for passengers.
The incident happened in Albrighton, east Shropshire, between Wolverhampton in the West Midlands and the village of Cosford in Shropshire, at around 10am on February 1. The horse, small and curious, walked onto the tracks and surprised everyone.
Network Rail Birmingham temporarily closed the line to prevent any collisions between trains and the confused animal or with staff who would be sent to get the horse to safety.
The closure lasted around half an hour, causing delays for morning commuters and those travelling on the often busy route between Birmingham New Street and Shrewsbury stations. A Network Rail team managed to locate the horse and remove it without causing any harm.
A spokesman for Birmingham New Street said staff had managed to get the horse off the tracks and the incident was resolved at around 10.30am.
Network Rail Birmingham wrote on social media: "Our crews have removed the horse from the track at #Albrighton, which had previously blocked the lines. Services can now operate normally between Wolverhampton and Cosford. Thank you for your patience as crews worked to resolve the situation."
One follower on X, Montagu-Dunk, jokingly posted: “Ten hours to do a risk assessment. Two hours to put on the orange suit. Ten people to go to Tesco to buy a carrot. Five hours to get a vet, just in case. Cobra meeting in Downing Street. Sixty-page diversity report.”
In December 2025, Network Rail had stopped trains after a suspected AI-generated photo, appearing to show extensive damage to a bridge, was shared on social media following an earthquake.
The earthquake was felt across Lancashire and the southern part of the Lake District.
Network Rail said it was notified of the image, which appeared to show extensive damage to Carlisle Bridge in Lancaster at around 1am, and suspended rail services across the bridge while safety inspections were carried out.
The railway line was fully reopened at around 2am, and the company advised the public to "consider the serious consequences this could have" before creating or distributing misleading images.
The spokesman said: “The disruption caused by the creation and distribution of misleading images and videos creates entirely unnecessary delays for passengers and a cost to the taxpayer. This increases the workload for our teams, who work incredibly hard to keep the railway running smoothly. The safety of passengers and staff is our number one priority and we will always take any safety concerns seriously.”
British Transport Police said it had been "aware" of the situation, but there was no open investigation into the incident.
Network Rail reported that 32 services, including passenger and freight trains, were delayed due to the fraudulent incident. /GazetaExpress/
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