Rail disruption due to trespasser - an environmental tactic?

[Riley Blue]

Several times recently rail services up and down the country have been disrupted due to trespassers - today it's Euston. The rumour on my O/H's commuter train (and repeated by station staff) is that it's a deliberate tactic by environmentalists after being warned away from airports. Has anyone else heard this?

[twister]

If true, then it'd be putting the mental into environmentalist considering that a) some of the lines are operated by electric trains rather than diesels, and b) regardless of traction type, we're constantly being encouraged to take the train instead of the car for environmental reasons, so to then disrupt rail travel would seem to be counter-productive.

[DavieBNL]

Not so sure about that. Environmentalists always seem to advertise the fact, the reason they do it is to attract attention/publicity.

Probably spin from the rail company to deflect the flack from their own "health and safety" rules which require them to stop the service at the first suggestion of anyone near a track.

[tight5]

DavieBNL said:

Probably spin from the rail company to deflect the flack from their own "health and safety" rules which require them to stop the service at the first suggestion of anyone near a track.

Not their rules.
RSSB sets the safety standards for all the railway and its operators.

[Jaroon]

Environmentally speaking aren't trains one of the most friendly types of transport over any fair distance. Would be a bit of an own goal I'd have said, unless it was targeted at diesels to speed up electrification.

[essayer]

I don’t think so, it doesn’t take much for disruption to massively disrupt the workings of the railway - just reducing train speeds down for any significant time (train drivers needing to look for trespassers or police searching for them) can lead to massive knock-on effects as services are delayed leaving, train crew out of position, etc

[Teddy Lop]

Jaroon said:

Environmentally speaking aren't trains one of the most friendly types of transport over any fair distance. Would be a bit of an own goal I'd have said, unless it was targeted at diesels to speed up electrification.

you think these "protesters" are interested in any logical argument or concept?

Or the environment?

There's nothing there beyond mob mentality from yobs cowering behind a virtuous cause.

[BaldOldMan]

Happens reasonably regularly on my line - usually seems to be kids

All it takes is one driver to see someone, or one phone call and they have to despatch someone to check all is clear

[Guvernator]

A couple of months ago we had a Eurostar trip cancelled due to a protestor on the roof of one of the buildings at King Cross. Caused disruption for about 24 hours IIRC. Never did find out what he was protesting or why it took the police so long to get him down. Surely a tazer and a couple of big PC's should have had this resolved in 10 minutes rather than disrupting travel for thousands for an entire day?