A birthday party balloon which floated towards a rail line caused chaos for train users.
Three trains between St Helens and Liverpool Lime Street were delayed yesterday after a helium balloon got tangled in 25,000-volt overhead electric cables.
A foil '1' balloon was stuck on the cables, which power trains on Merseyside.
It's thought the party decoration floated towards the rail lines, prompting Network Rail to issue a safety plea to the public.
Engineers had to close the line and switch off the electricity that powers trains to and from the Liverpool City Region, so the balloon could be safely removed.
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Phil James, Network Rail's North West route director, said: “While Helium-filled balloons are fun, they pose a real safety and performance risk to the railway.
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“Our advice is not let them loose outside, especially if you’re near the railway. Leave them indoors away from high-voltage equipment so we can keep trains running on time.”
Helium-filled balloons causes dozens of train delays for passengers across Britain each year.
Network Rail recorded more than 600 balloon-related incidents across England, Scotland and Wales over the last ten years.
For more information about how our overhead electric lines work visit networkrail.co.uk/overhead-line-equipment.
