Railway children cause big delays

CHILDREN are being blamed for causing delays of up to three hours for rail passengers.

All services from Manchester to Huddersfield came to a halt after the group were spotted in the Marsden end of the Standedge tunnel. Passengers returning to Saddleworth from Manchester on Good Friday faced frustrating delays of more than three hour to reach Greenfield and Mossley.

Local commuter David Wheeler said: “There were a lot of problems. It took hours for people to get home. It’s sheer stupidity for children to play near or in rail lines at anytime — never mind in a tunnel.”

The delays affected local stopping trains which include changes at Stalybridge and transpennine express services to Yorkshire and the North-East.

Other disgruntled travellers said it took three hours to travel the one stop between Mossley and Greenfield, Oldham’s only rail station.

A spokesman for Network Rail condemned the children’s actions saying the delays would have cost thousands of pounds.