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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ben Turner & Graeme Murray

Train cab dangles over storm-wrecked track as hero driver slams brakes at last moment

A train cab was seen dangling over a track damaged by Storm Malik after a hero driver slammed on the brakes at the last moment.

The dramatic scene saw the passenger train stranded as storms caused the tracks to flood and partially collapse.

Six people were evacuated from the two-carriage train as it came to a halt on Sunday morning.

Rising water levels had created a pothole beneath the river-flanked track, causing it to partially collapse.

Footage shows water gushing under the stationary 7.25am Greater Anglia service, which had five passengers and a driver on board.

No one was injured as the train stopped just inches in front of the affected area near Haddiscoe, Norfolk.

Aerial view of the Norwich to Lowestoft railway line, which has been closed due to the track being washed away (Mike Page / SWNS)

All services from Norwich to Lowestoft have been suspended until February 4.

Network Rail said in a statement on Sunday: "A very high tide and winds have caused ballast, the stones that support the tracks, to be washed away at Haddiscoe on the Norwich to Lowestoft line.

"Thankfully no one has been injured, all passengers on the train that reported the incident have been taken away safely and the train has not derailed.

Flooding in the Haddiscoe area caused serious disruption to Greater Anglia services (Mike Page / SWNS)
The extent of the collapse below the line made the line dangerous to take its regular route (Mike Page / SWNS)

"Engineers have been on site since Sunday morning and are assessing the situation."

Greater Anglia apologised for the disruption in a tweet on Sunday.

An amber weather warning has been given for wind across northern parts of Scotland from Sunday into Monday morning.

Chief meteorologist Dan Suri told The Sun : "Storm Corrie will bring very strong winds to the north of the UK, especially northern Scotland.

The track was washed away overnight in high flood tides (Mike Page / SWNS)

"This follows just one day after Storm Malik moves though also bringing a spell of very strong winds.

"Storm Corrie will bring gusts of up to 90mph in exposed coastal locations in northern Scotland, with 70-80mph gusts more widely in the north."

The Mirror told how Storm Malik had caused havoc closely followed by the arrival of Corrie.

The collapse beneath the train track (Mike Page / SWNS)

Scotland and parts of northern England were battered by 100mph winds during Malik with an estimated 32,000 homes still without electricity.

Emergency workers urged people to stay at home as Corrie took hold.

The Met Office said: "In the wake of Storm Corrie, falling temperatures may allow a brief period of snow in a few areas, mainly on hills.

The train track was badly hit by high floodtide (Mike Page / SWNS)

"Later in the night, clearer skies and wintry showers are expected, these most frequent for northwest and north Scotland, few and far between in eastern areas."

Scotland is likely to be the worst affected by Storm Corrie with highest rates of inland gusts expected over the northern half of Scotland, north of the Central Belt.

The unsettled weather due to the new storm will remain into this week, with a yellow warning for strong winds in place on Tuesday.

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