Slow and steady may win the race, but aren’t the most helpful attributes in escaping being run over by a train.
It was presumably with that in mind that a concerned rider on England’s Avanti West Coast railway reported that a tortoise was wandering about the tracks at the Runcorn station.
According to an Avanti West Coast press release, staff quickly responded by pausing service in and out of Runcorn while the tortoise was safely rescued. Service resumed shortly after the 10-minute disruption.
The tortoise was transferred to a local rescue center before reuniting with its owner. As for how it ended up on the tracks, perhaps it was allured by the Avanti West Coast mascot, which is a turtle named Turbo.
“After receiving reports of a slow-moving trespasser on the tracks, our team at Runcorn worked with Network Rail to carry out a safe rescue,” says Avanti West Coast customer experience director Kathryn O’Brien. “Even our mascot, Turbo, came out of his shell to keep the unexpected visitor company on the journey to a local rescue centre.”
“We’re proud of the team’s swift actions, which helped bring the tortoise to safety while keeping disruption to customers’ journeys to a minimum,” O’Brien continues. “Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the tortoise has now been safely reunited with its owner. We’d also like to thank our customers for their patience while we assisted a trespasser who was in no hurry to pick up the pace.”