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Oxfordshire: Hundreds escorted from train after landslide

Network Rail Yarnton bridge over railway lineNetwork Rail
Fallen bricks on the track from the damaged bridge would not have been visible to the train driver at night

Hundreds of passengers had to be escorted from a train after it hit rubble on a railway line left by a landslide on Friday evening.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said the Paddington service ran into debris after a bridge in Yarnton, near Kidlington, was damaged.

Oxford County Councillor Liam Walker told the BBC transport police helped 362 passengers from carriages onto the tracks before boarding another train.

GWR said no-one was injured.

Passenger Martin Chapman said he was told the train was "deemed unfit to continue" after running into bricks.

Mr Chapman posted on social media that passengers had to walk along the tracks to another train.

A spokesperson for the rail operator said: "The line between Moreton-in-Marsh and Oxford remains closed following a landslip which caused damage to a road bridge.

"Work is being carried out and it is anticipated that the line will reopen tomorrow [Sunday] morning.

"GWR tickets are being accepted for the rest of today [Saturday] on alternative routes operated by CrossCountry, Avanti and Chiltern Railways."

Network Rail Bricks on train trackNetwork Rail
It was dark when British Transport Police had to escort 362 passengers from the Paddington service onto another train
Presentational grey line

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