Huge tortoise on railway track blocks trains in UK

Trains in southeast England were stopped due to a huge tortoise on the railway track. The rail officials notified the passengers and trains between Norwich and Stansted airport were delayed for over an hour. Greater Anglia Rail tweeted 'animals on the railway,' referring to the tortoise that was blocking the line.

Just after the announcement, Diane Akers, a traveller on a train to Norwich, tweeted a picture of the tortoise standing on the track and informed the company that the tortoise is alive but hurt. She said that the top of the tortoise’s shell appeared to be badly gashed. The traveller tweeted that she couldn’t believe seeing the tortoise.

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The tortoise was hurt and was transferred to be attended to by a specialised team for treatment, as per Georgie, a customer service representative for the rail company. The representative updated the passengers, saying, "We have been informed that he will make a full recovery."

Another passenger named Lydia Jane White also tweeted, "Train delayed because of a giant tortoise, too heavy to lift, stuck on the train tracks after having escaped from a local wildlife centre"—not something I thought I’d ever hear from a train driver! The Guardian reported.

An hour and a half later, the railway company announced the reopening of the railway line, tough some additional delays were anticipated.

The UK has been facing scorching heat for a few days. Officials advised people to not travel unnecessarily through trains and public transport.

This summer, there were several days of train strikes in the United Kingdom as the unions representing railway workers demanded salary increases that came with inflation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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