A Swan stranded on a Docklands Light Railway track in London caused rush‑hour delays, a scenario familiar to commuters on North American rail systems.
Impact on London commuters
The line was suspended between Bow Church and Stratford while Transport for London staff attended to the wildlife incident, understood to involve a swan.
Social media reports claimed passengers were forced to leave the train and the line was later suspended.
The suspension comes as thousands of Londoners made their commutes into the city on Monday morning.
On its website, Transport for London reported: "Docklands Light Railway: Severe delays between Stratford and Canary Wharf while we remove an animal from the track at Pudding Mill Lane."
Wildlife management on rail networks
The birds have been spotted on railway tracks on several occasions, often causing widespread delays.
For example, in September last year, the Mildmay line was suspended for over an hour while a railway employee coaxed the injured swan from the tracks.
Unmarked "mute" swans, the UK's resident species, are protected and killing or injuring one can constitute criminal damage or a wildlife‑related offence.
Network Rail announced plans in 2024 to team up with The Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton in a bid to train rail workers on how to safely remove swans from tracks.
Similar wildlife incidents affect commuter rail in Canada and the United States, where rail operators also develop protocols to safely remove birds and larger animals from tracks.
In Toronto, GO Transit has guidelines for handling waterfowl on its lines, while Amtrak in the US runs training for crews on animal removal.
But swans aren't the only animal that cause delays on the UK's rail network.
In the year to March 2024, Network Rail reported as many as 1,432 incidents, with offending animals including donkeys, mice, hedgehogs, and deer.
Across the operator's Wessex route, which includes routes from London Waterloo to Surrey, Berkshire, Dorset, Devon, and Wiltshire, swans were responsible for the largest number of delays to passengers.
Transport for London has been contacted for comment.