Confused rush-hour commuters were baffled as to why they were sharing a rail platform with a horse.
The unattended animal had escaped from a nearby field and made its way to the station and was precariously close to tracks.
Bemused passengers at Brockley Whins in South Tyneside raised the alarm with the local Metro control room after becoming concerned for the horse's safety.
Train drivers were then alerted and trains ran at reduced speeds through the area until the horse could be moved.
A picture of the horse at the station was shared on Twitter by Will Mapplebeck who tweeted: "Just when you think you've seen it all on the Tyne and Wear Metro.
"A horse at Brockley Whins this AM. Funny, but potentially dangerous for the animal. Reported to station staff and control room by fellow passengers."
Before Metro staff could arrive, a member of the public led the horse away from the station and back to its field, ChronicleLive reports.
A spokesman said: “We received a report that a horse had strayed on to Brockley Whins Metro station platform around 8am on Monday morning.
“Trains were cautioned through this area of the line while the incident was dealt with. This involved alerting drivers and reducing speeds of trains.
“Brockley Whins is an unstaffed station so staff were sent out to deal with the incident. Before they got there a member of the public led the horse away and put it safely back into the nearby field that it had escaped from.”
