It’s a typical evening at London’s bustling Euston station, passengers getting ready to board the Avanti West Coast train to Manchester at 9 PM. But just half an hour before departure, an unexpected commuter was spotted – a wide-eyed, terrified tabby cat perched on the train’s roof.
Thankfully, a sharp-eyed fellow passenger raised the alarm just in time, preventing the train from speeding away at 125 miles per hour with an unwitting feline stowaway.
The situation, however, was far from ordinary. This adventurous cat wasn’t just lounging on top of the train; it was dangerously close to the 25,000 volt overhead lines powering the trains, making the rescue mission all the more urgent.
The rescue team sprang into action, pulling the train out of service and transferring passengers to another locomotive. Then began the delicate task of coaxing the cat down from its perilous perch, a process that took two and a half hours and involved a specially crafted makeshift platform.
Reflecting on this extraordinary incident, Joe Hendry, Network Rail station manager for Euston, expressed his amazement, saying, “We often have to deal with birds inside the station, but in all my time here, this is the first train-surfing cat.” He praised the quick response of the station and Avanti West Coast staff, adding with a smile, “Thankfully, curiosity didn’t kill this cat, and we’re glad it avoided using up one of its nine lives.” Talk about a whisker-raising adventure!
