Cows on the line?

[WillC]

Guardian reporting major WCML delays as cows wander onto the line near Stafford. Surprised it hasn't surface on here…?

Trains disrupted on UK’s busiest intercity line as cows wander on to tracks

London to Manchester among routes affected after cows blocked west coast mainline for more than three hours

www.theguardian.com

 

[Mojo]

Probably because it isn’t particularly newsworthy, incidents like this occur all the time.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

That'll (possibly) explain why several Northbound Avanti trains were cancelled, or running late, through Lancaster a couple of hours ago. As @Mojo hints at, just another day on the WCML.

 

[Horizon22]

There are major incidents and delays for most of the day across various parts of the South East that don't get reported on here! An animal incursion on the railway whilst not frequent is also not uncommon.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jun 2026 ==

Probably because it isn’t particularly newsworthy, incidents like this occur all the time.

Although newsworthy enough to make the Guardian apparently! Probably because it is (very) loosely related to Burnham.

 

[Bald Rick]

it was very disruptive, and will be fir the rest if the day. Took hours to round up the herd and get them clear if the line.

 

[D1511]

it was very disruptive, and will be fir the rest if the day. Took hours to round up the herd and get them clear if the line.

Is the farmer permitted to trespass, under supervision, in these circumstances?

 

[Horizon22]

Is the farmer permitted to trespass, under supervision, in these circumstances?

I think if you are "trespassing under supervision" it is no longer trespass! They would block the line(s) and then the farmer would try to round the herd with MOM or other staff supporting.

 

[WillC]

I was wondering how close a call it was, as in, did the farmer report it rapidly, lines red signalled etc. Train vs cow can be pretty serious.

 

[Djgr]

By all accounts the farmer seems to have gone AWOL.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Why don't they install proper, robust, secure fences on either side of the WCML?

 

[WillC]

Why don't they install proper, robust, secure fences on either side of the WCML?

<drum roll> cost?

 

[LRV3004]

I’d herd of this occurring earlier today. Apparently the cows were off to Uddersfield after there was some alleged beef between them and the farmer; the farmer had allegedly told them to burger off. Once they’d been safely mooved on, trains were able to start running again, although I believe there are a large number of passengers milking delay repay claims following this case of bovine intervention……

 

[WillC]

I’d herd of this occurring earlier today. Apparently the cows were off to Uddersfield after there was some alleged beef between them and the farmer; the farmer had allegedly told them to burger off. Once they’d been safely mooved on, trains were able to start running again, although I believe there are a large number of passengers milking delay repay claims following this case of bovine intervention……

Bravo. A career on R4 beckons

 

[midland1]

They tend to take a bit more care now after the accident at Polmont in 1984

 

[Unobrow]

it was very disruptive, and will be fir the rest if the day. Took hours to round up the herd and get them clear if the line.

I can categorically state, it was around two hours to clear the line. I was sat on 1S42 virtually at the front of the queue. I believe there were up to 10 cows having a little morning walk out. It obviously took a bit of time to get sufficient numbers to the area, find the gap they got through and cows can apparently be quite belligerent when approached by (here come the) men in orange!. Plus the crafty so and so’s split into smaller groups making it all the “fun” for the team to shepherd them back from whence they came. There were around 15 trains stopped between Whitehouse Jn and Tamworth a the height of it all. Incident was between Armitage and Bereton OHNS.

 

[Tracked]

I’d herd of this occurring earlier today. Apparently the cows were off to Uddersfield after there was some alleged beef between them and the farmer; the farmer had allegedly told them to burger off. Once they’d been safely mooved on, trains were able to start running again, although I believe there are a large number of passengers milking delay repay claims following this case of bovine intervention……

I hope you're just ribbing us, etc ...