Yesterday morning (Thursday 30th May) thousands of rail passengers had their journeys disrupted after Leeds railway station was evacuated.
At 0700 Network Rail announced that the overhead line equipment at Leeds station had been switched off for safety reasons whilst emergency services worked to remove a man from harms way after reports of a male standing on the wrong side of safety barriers over Platforms 9 to 11 on the West end footbridge.
As a result services were delayed by between two and three hours whilst the station was closed to the public. Staff at the station and onboard trains worked tirelessly to keep passengers informed on the situation, with train operating companies advising passenger not to travel unless their journey was absolutely necessary.
Delays as a result of the incident have been felt across the country, including York, Manchester, Sheffield, Preston, Nottingham, London, and Plymouth. Delays were felt right throughout the day.
At approximately 0900 the British Transport Police announced that the male had “successfully been removed from harm's way” and that they are “working with Network Rail to resume train services as soon as possible.”
One woman was seen simply sat playing the piano, saying she was waiting for her train but decided to keep herself busy and entertain other passengers in the process. Coffee shops and staff were also handing out free drinks to commuters.
The station was reopened at approximately 0945, however, trains will continue to be severely disrupted with delays of up to 30 minutes and some cancellations until the end of the day. Train operating companies have announced that if you were unable to make your journey yesterday, then your tickets will be accepted today (31st May 2019).
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At least the woman kept the passengers entertained as the incident happened. Well done to her. Hope the man is ok. It has happened at other major railway stations including at some stations in London.