At least seven horses have been killed after being hit by two trains in Cambridgeshire.
Unknown owner
According to the British Transport Police (BTP), a herd of horses wandered onto a level crossing at Milton, just north of Cambridge, on Wednesday night.
The Stansted to Birmingham train collided with the horses at about 5.15pm, while another train going in the opposite direction was also involved.
It is thought the horses came from fields in the Fen Road area, but no owner has come forward.
Loud bang
Passenger Edward Schulenburg told Cambridge News there was an “incredibly loud bang, followed by rumbling and the sound of gravel being thrown into the air”.
“The train then came to a halt,” he said. “After some waiting around, he [the ticket collector] came to tell us the driver was okay and that we may have hit a horse or several horses. A degree of panic hit the commuters, but for most it was calm.”
Minor injuries
Cambridgeshire police, the ambulance service and fire service attended the incident. A female passenger was taken to hospital with minor injuries and later discharged.
Four RPSCA inspectors were also called to the crash to check the area for any other injured horses and to inspect the fencing surrounding the area.
Investigation
“We are very keen to find out who the horses belong to,” said Sgt David Barker. “At the moment, it is not clear how many horses died in the incident. However, we believe that at least seven were killed.
“I also want to know how the horses came to be on the tracks. If anyone has any information that they think could help us in our investigations please get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting reference ESUB/B2 of 20/11/14.