Injured swan rescued from London tracks after delaying multiple trains

An injured swan caused hours of delays for London commuters Monday evening after it laid down on some train tracks.

The bird came to a rest at South Acton station of the London Overground, a heavy rail line that connects London to its many suburbs, during rush hour.

A number of passersby took photos and videos of the distressed bird.

“At first, we thought it was rather funny seeing a swan on the tracks holding up a train and then two trains but it quickly turned to concern for his welfare,” Nicola Cilliers told The Northern Times.

After train engineers and firefighters wondered how to safely get the bird off the tracks, a representative from London Wildlife Protection arrived rescued the swan about four hours after first stopping traffic and delaying or rerouting 14 trains.

“No one else was able to come out and we would have been totally lost if the London Wildlife Protection had not helped because we could not have left him alone,” Cilliers said.

The bird was reportedly safe and sound with the animal rescue agency and released back to its flock on Tuesday.

“The bird was so disorientated it simply did not know what to do. When we measured him, he was underweight, so it’s likely that he simply did not have the strength to fly away. He was very lucky not to have any injuries though and avoid the electrified rails,” London Wildlife Protection said in a statement provided to MyLondon.

Public transportation officials apologized for the inconvenience but said the situation was handled correctly.

“Delays caused by birds are not uncommon in Britain, and while we appreciate delays are frustrating for passengers, it is important we play our part in protecting Britain’s bird species,” Network Rail said Tuesday in a statement.