Huddersfield rail passengers panicked by fire under train

Stock image. Getty

Fire crews were called when a panicked rail passenger witnessed flames coming from under a train in West Yorkshire last night.

According to the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, the commuter called 999 at 11.10pm when the First Transpennine Express train from Manchester Airport to York was at Slaithwaite Station but continued its journey to Huddersfield.

The newspaper reported that passengers alerted the driver by banging on his cab and many fled from the second and third carriages, which they believed started filling with smoke.

Fire crews arrived at Slaithwaite Station but were forced to divert to Huddersfield Station after the train continued. When they arrived, they saw that the fire was still alight under the train.

Firefighters from Huddersfield, Marsden and Slaithwaite used eight foam extinguishers and the train's own specialist system to bring the situation under control.

Station Commander Dominic Furby of West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service told AOL Travel: 'We believe the fire was caused by an oil or fuel leak underneath the train in the engine compartment area which, due to it being very hot, caused the oil to ignite.

'There was a small fire in the engine compartment of the middle carriage, which caused quite a lot of smoke but not inside the train itself.'

He added that all the passengers left the train safely at Huddersfield Station.

A First TransPennine Express spokesman said the fire was reported at Slaithwaite by a passing Northern train, as well as a passenger.

He said: 'An oil leak into the exhaust systems from the turbo charger caused the smoke, flames and sparks reported.

'Once the fire was detected the engine was shut down, stopping the source of the fire and the fire extinguishers operated automatically. These in themselves cause a large volume of steam.

'The driver took the train forward to Huddersfield which was the safest, quickest and most direct route to the emergency services and facilitated the speediest customer evacuation.'

The spokesman added that the fire was contained and that further investigations into the incident were being conducted.

He confirmed: 'Any smoke that entered the vehicle was not as a result of a fire in the saloon fire and was pulled through the ventilation systems – this would have included the large amount of residue generated by the fire extinguishers.'

Related articles

Passengers evacuated after train wheels catch fire

'Hero' lorry driver risks life to steer burning truck away from Xmas shoppers