A railway trespasser who caused chaos to passengers travelling via Clapham Junction has been jailed for eight weeks.
A total of 38 trains were delayed or cancelled after Anthony Andre, 42, was spotted on the tracks at around 6.30pm on September 10.
Clapham Junction is one of the busiest rail stations in the country and is used by thousands of Southern and South Western Railway commuters to change trains in and out of Waterloo and Victoria.
The incident happened during a five-day Tube strike, when many commuters were even more dependent on the mainline railway to get to work.
When Andre, of Fulham Road, was spotted on the tracks, the power had to be switched off for his own safety.
Despite him being quickly apprehended, the switch-off affected 38 trains and caused a total of 3,427 minutes of delays to passengers during the evening rush hour.
He was remanded in custody and appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on September 12.
He pleaded guilty to trespass and obstruction and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison.
Paul Langley, head of security, crime and resilience for Network Rail, said: “Trespassing on the railway is incredibly dangerous. Trains in the South East are powered by the electric rail, which carries 750 volts and easily enough to kill or cause devastating life-changing injuries.
“We hope this sentence sends a message that trespassing on the railway will not be tolerated. Anthony Andre is lucky to be walking away with a prison sentence, as it could have ended in tragedy.
“His actions not only put his own life at risk, but caused huge disruption for thousands of passengers trying to get home, or to see friends and family.
“We work hard every day to keep people safe and trains running. Incidents like this are a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong, and why we always take trespass so seriously.”
Investigating officer PC Darren Ryan said: “Not only is trespassing exceedingly dangerous, potentially resulting in life-changing injuries or even death, but it’s also illegal and we will take firm action against those that break the law.
“Andre chose to trespass during a week of strikes, causing even further disruption and chaos for the network, so I’m pleased with the result in this case.
“I would urge members of the public who witness incidents of trespass to contact us by texting 61016 or call us on 0800 40 50 40 so that we can help prevent any tragic accidents from taking place on the railway.”
Earlier this year, Network Rail and British Transport Police released a new series of films called “Stay off the Tracks” as part of their You vs Train campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers around the railway.
