Network Rail manager resigns after passengers left stranded for hours

Hundreds of people were impacted by the chaos earlier this month (Picture: PA)

A manager at Network Rail has stepped down after hundreds of train passengers were left in the dark when power failed near London Paddington station.

Singer James Blunt and TV presenter Rachel Riley were among the people forced to sit in their carriages as they stood still on the tracks for more than three hours on December 7.

National Rail, Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express services were all affected by the chaos caused by a fault in an overhead cable.

Michelle Handforth, managing director for the Network Rail’s Wales and Western region – which includes Paddington – resigned on Friday, the transport firm said.

Posts on social media followed the unfolding pandemonium as passengers were trapped on their trains, at first with dim lighting – and then, when the battery backup ran out, in complete darkness.

Blunt wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Been stuck somewhere outside Paddington for close to 4 hours now. Out of peanuts and wine.’

Countdown star Riley posted a series of excited selfies with staff and fellow passengers when she got the news she would be able to leave, adding: ‘Nearly 4 hours after we got on, we’re getting off the Elizabeth line, woohoo!’

In the weeks leading up to the incident, there had been repeated delays on the same stretch of track due to system faults and damaged rails.

Rachel Riley was so delighted to get off the train she took selfies with bemused workers (Picture: Rachel Riley/X)

Commuter Mikey Worrall said: ‘We saw a couple of workers come past and they were trying to keep everyone calm.

‘Suddenly, we saw a stream of people coming down the track and at that point it was clear that we would be getting off.

‘It was really eerie, walking down the railway line in amongst this big crowd of people. It felt like a wartime thing.’

Passengers had to wait for hours, relying on occasional updates from staff to tell them what was going on (Picture: Reuters)

Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association trade union, said: ‘One person resigning simply isn’t enough.

‘We need to see Network Rail investing properly in the maintenance of its infrastructure and that means shelving its planned cuts.

‘Ultimately though, this all goes back to the government who set the budget that Network Rail have to work with.

‘Transport Secretary Mark Harper needs get real about funding Network Rail so we can have a safe, well-maintained railway for the future.’

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said: ‘I would like to thank Michelle for her hard work and support over these past three-and-a-half years.’

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