Shell shock as runaway tortoise found on the tracks at Bicester North Station
A runaway tortoise which made its way to the train tracks at Bicester North Station was returned to its owner by staff from Chiltern Railways and Network Rail.
The renegade reptile, named Mr T (short for Mr Tortoise), was spotted by passengers at the station on Tuesday 07 October. The passengers then alerted station staff to the slow-moving trespasser so it could be brought to safety.
Chiltern Railways and Network Rail retrieved the tortoise before taking it to a staff area at the station. It was offered VIP treatment including water and lettuce from the station café.
The tortoise was unharmed and there was no disruption to services. After an appeal by Chiltern on a local social media group, the tortoise’s owners came forward and were reunited with their pet at the station.
Giles Conway, Area Manager (Oxfordshire) at Chiltern Railways, said: “I don’t think anyone could quite believe it when we were alerted by customers at the station that there was a tortoise on the tracks.
“I am grateful to our station staff who located the tortoise and worked with Network Rail to safely retrieve it from the tracks unharmed.”
Steve Gill, a mobile operations manager with Network Rail’s Central route who retrieved the tortoise, said: “In my 30 plus years on the railway, this is the first time I’ve ever had to save a tortoise! I’m glad we managed to get the pet safely away from the tracks and reunited with its owner.”
There are many hidden dangers on the railway and passengers should never attempt to retrieve or look for an animal themselves. Anyone who sees an animal on the track is advised to ring the 24-hour Network Rail helpline on 03457 11 41 41 so specially trained staff can help.
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Notes to editors
- Chiltern Railways is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing around 36,200 people and delivering around 1.5 billion passenger journeys across 11 European countries.
- Chiltern operates commuter/regional rail passenger services from its Central London terminus at London Marylebone along the M40 corridor to destinations in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well as long-distance services to the West Midlands along two routes. Services on the Chiltern Main Line run from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, with some peak-hour services to Stourbridge Junction.
- Chiltern also runs trains on the London to Aylesbury Line to Aylesbury (with some trains terminating at Aylesbury Vale Parkway instead), on the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury and Oxford to Bicester branch lines.