Miracle escape: Pair leap from EXPLODING vehicle after driver accidentally turns onto railway track and 750 volts surge through it when wheels touch live rail
- Driver accidentally turned onto the train line at a level crossing in Wool, Dorset
- Straddled the live third rail that carries 750 volts of electricity and caught fire
- Two occupants escaped and no trains were due to pass through at the time
- The line – serving Weymouth and Bournemouth – was suspended while the line was cleared
Two people had an incredible escape after fleeing a blazing car that had been driven onto live railway tracks.
A driver had accidentally turned onto a train line while going over a level crossing near Wool Station, Dorset.
The small hatchback then straddled the live third rail that carries 750 volts of electricity and caught fire.
Two people had an incredible escape after fleeing a blazing car that had been driven onto live railway tracks
The two occupants of the car managed to escape before the vehicle was engulfed by flames.
Network Rail posted photos showing the car engulfed in flames. In the pictures the car is positioned further down the track next to the station’s platforms.
Luckily, there were that no trains due to pass through the rural station at the time of the drama at around 9.50pm on Friday.
Power to the track was switched off while fire crews arrived and put out the blaze that destroyed the car.
A driver had accidentally turned onto a train line while going over a level crossing near Wool Station, Dorset
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: ‘We were alerted to an incident at around 9.30pm on Friday evening. Having inspected the area, a vehicle was removed from the area and no significant damage to the track was caused’
Trains on the Weymouth and Bournemouth line were also cancelled until 7am yesterday as engineers from Network Rail recovered the charred vehicle from the tracks.
A Network Rail team removed the vehicle from the track and reported there was no damage to the third rail
Network Rail said British Transport Police are leading the investigation to find out why the car ended up on the track.
Replacement bus services were laid on between Weymouth and Wareham while the line was closed.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: ‘We were alerted to an incident at around 9.30pm on Friday evening. Having inspected the area, a vehicle was removed from the area and no significant damage to the track was caused.’
Luckily, there were that no trains due to pass through the rural station at the time of the drama at around 9.50pm on Friday