Newbury to Reading bovine hold-up

Cow on line blamed for rail delays

A COW on the line has been blamed for delays affecting rail passengers between Newbury and Reading early yesterday evening (Thurs).

The delays were followed by engineering works, which saw no trains running between the towns later that evening and replacement buses provided.

According to Network Rail, trains ran yesterday evening as planned, but with some delay, due to a cow walking in front of a train for some distance, slowing down a train by one and a half hours on the Great Bedwyn line at Frome, in Somerset.

Other trains subsequently delayed, due to the knock-on effect, included the 7.54 Bedwyn to Paddington, which arrived in Reading 23 minutes late.

The following trains were also delayed: 7.55pm Exeter to Paddington (via Newbury and Reading); 8.33 Bedwyn to Reading (via Newbury and Reading) and 9.23 Newbury to Reading.

Trains between Newbury and Reading then ceased after 10pm, due to planned engineering works, according to Western Route Network Rail:

"There were no further trains due to a planned engineering possession of all lines between Reading (Southcote junction) and Westbury from 10pm Thursday to 5.05am Friday, for which we are assured that rail replacement buses were provided by Great Western Railway (GWR)," said Patrick Coleman, a spokesman for the company.