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Train's final journey scuppered by nesting birds

BBC White and black bird sitting between two railway linesBBC
A nesting gull pokes its white head above the rails in Holyhead sidings

A train's final journey before it is withdrawn from service was held up after nesting gulls were found holed up in rail tracks.

The special journey was planned this week to move the empty train from Holyhead in Anglesey to Landore works in Swansea.

But when the crew turned up, they could not get the train out of the sidings without disturbing the birds’ nest.

Gulls are a protected species, and all alternative tracks were blocked, so the journey had to be cancelled.

Five track main line at the entrance to Holyhead station with train leaving for Crewe on left and the locomotive from the cancelled train on the right
Passenger trains were able to leave Holyhead as normal, but the locomotive on the right wasn't able to complete its journey with the empty class 175 unit

The empty train which needed to be moved is a class 175, which was used by Transport for Wales until the whole fleet was withdrawn from service in 2023.

A number of them had been stored in sidings at Holyhead before being moved to Swansea.

The last of the trains was due to be moved south on Monday.

Network Rail said the empty train would be taken out of the siding on another day, using an alternative track, so that the gulls could finish nesting undisturbed.

A spokesperson said: "An empty train was unable to be moved from the sidings at Holyhead station this morning owing to seagulls nesting on a relief line.

"The unit was scheduled to travel to Landore in Swansea but the gulls – a protected species – have set up nest on the track.

"An alternative route out of Holyhead was blocked by another train, for which no crew were available as no journeys were planned until later in the day."