The incident occurred in the Redland area of Bristol on Saturday. Passengers were able to halt the train by pulling the emergency cord.
When the passengers found out the train wasn’t going to be stopping at the next stop, some of them weren’t happy about it, so they stopped the train, jumped off of it and decided to walk along the tracks.
Police are now trying to identify up to 200 people who left the train. Some of the passengers on board were complaining that the train was too busy and warm. They also said some passengers were having panic attacks.
British Transport police (BTP) said it was treating this incident as a trespass incident because it could have caused delays and put lives in danger.
Initially, reports suggested that around 80 people were walking on the tracks, but when officers arrived at the scene, they saw up to 200 people.
West Country Travel retweeted an image, which showed crowds on the tracks. The photo’s caption said that that was why trains were canceled between Severn Beach & Bristol, because of students on the line at Redland.
Julian Burnell, of Network Rail, said the passengers’ actions endangered themselves, as well as other train users. He added that railway lines were designed for trains and not for people.
Railway trespass is a criminal offense and fines can cost offenders up to £1,000, or $1,500.
