Barking! Services cancelled after train forced to follow stubborn dog on track for nine miles from Acle to Yarmouth

A dog caused delays on the trains between Norwich and Great Yarmouth this morning. Picture: BILL SMITH. Archant © 2012

A train was forced to follow a dog for nine miles from Acle to Yarmouth after it refused to get off the line this morning.

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The persistent pooch caused delays of almost an hour for passengers on the train - and later services from Yarmouth to Norwich and Sheringham to Norwich were cancelled as Greater Anglia tried to get things back on track.

A Greater Anglia spokesman said the driver of the 8.45am Norwich to Great Yarmouth service spotted the dog walking along the line at Acle.

She said the crew tried to move it from the track, but when they were unable to the train instead ended up having to follow the dog all the way to its final destination, and the service was 56 minutes late.

Two train services - the 10.45am Norwich to Great Yarmouth service and the 11.22am Great Yarmouth to Norwich service - were cancelled as a knock-on effect of the incident.

The spokesman said: “We apologise to passengers. People affected will be able to claim on our Delay Repay scheme.”

She said she did not know what happened to the dog after it arrived in Great Yarmouth, but she urged dog owners to make sure that they kept their dogs under control when they were near railway lines.

For details of Greater Anglia’s Delay Repay scheme, visit www.greateranglia.co.uk/about-us/our-performance/delay-repay