Network Rail is issuing a reminder to secure dogs and other pets when close to railways following the rescue of a small dog on the 19th of March which was hiding under a train in South East London after getting onto the tracks.

The rescue of the dog took place on the tracks between Eltham and Falconwood and lead to approximately 90 minutes of disruption for Southeastern passengers travelling on the Bexleyheath line.

The driver of the 14.27 Dartford to Victoria service spotted the dog and stopped the train in order to attempt to rescue the dog, however, the dog then hid beneath the train’s carriages. Moments later the 14.07 Victoria to Dartford service stopped to support the rescue effort.

A short time later, Network Rail’s response team arrived and Wayne Kennedy, Network Rail’s Mobile Operations Manage was able to coach out the dog with some tasty treats. The dog was found to be safe and well following its rescue and was able to be reunited with its owner.

In total, the rescue of the dog saw 28 train services impacted, 8 trains cancelled with 31 services failing to stop which is when a train cannot stop at its planned station stops. The rescue also saw the involvement of a number of rail colleagues from Network Rail, Southeastern and British Transport Police, demonstrating the effects incidents such as trespass and animals on the line can have on passengers’ travel.

Wayne Kennedy, Network Rail’s Lewisham mobile operations manager, said: “It was brilliant that our team was able to safely remove the dog from the track and reunite it with its owner. I am sure many of our passengers are pet owners and can imagine how relieved the owner was to have their pet pooch safely returned alive and well.

“However, it’s really important to recognise the significant impact this had on Southeastern services yesterday afternoon, resulting in delays of around 90 minutes for a considerable number of passengers.

“We all recognise accidents do happen and that dogs and other pets can sometimes slip their leads or become loose, but we urge pet owners to be extra vigilant in ensuring their pets are secured when walking near the tracks, in stations or using the railway, in which dogs are always welcome!

“I would like to apologise to passengers who were delayed and thank them for their patience and understanding.”

Mark Knowles, Southeastern’s station manager for Eltham, said: “We’re so glad that our colleagues at Network Rail were able to arrive so quickly to lead this dog away from the tracks, ensuring there was a happy ending all round.

“Our customers and colleagues would hugely appreciate everyone taking extra care of their much-loved pets around the railway so that we can avoid incidents like this in the future.”

Network Rail and British Transport Police are now using state-of-the-art drone technology as part of a bid to reduce trespass, keeping everyone safe and preventing delays.