Network Rail has today (Tuesday 18 February) revealed that a man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after trespassing on one of the country's busiest railway lines and causing hundreds of South Western Railway (SWR) services to be delayed or cancelled.

On Monday, 19 August 2024, Ryan Seymour, 41, trespassed onto the South West Main Line at New Malden.

The line connects London Waterloo, one of Britain's busiest stations, with destinations in Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, Surrey and Wiltshire.

While being pursued by police he ran across four live tracks where, on an average, trains pass every two minutes.

When running to hide in bushes by the tracks, one train driver was forced to make an emergency stop at 75 miles per hour.

To keep Seymour and pursuing police officers safe, Network Rail turned off power to the 750-volt electric rails which powers trains.

Four trains were stranded outside of stations as services in the area came to a halt, causing widespread disruption across most of the SWR network.

Power was restored at 4.30pm, however the knock-on impact of trains and crew being out of position meant services were severely delayed for the rest of the day.

With so many cancellations and late running services, London Waterloo became overcrowded, forcing station colleagues to put safety mitigations in place.

To avoid further congestion in central London, all services on SWR's suburban lines, from places including Chessington, Guildford and Hampton Court, were forced to end their journeys at Clapham Junction.

Disruption then continued into the following day, with four early morning services cancelled.

In total, 921 train services were impacted, with 358 completely cancelled and parts of 81 other services cancelled. 13,178 minutes of delays were accumulated, the equivalent of nine days. These delays cost Network Rail, and the taxpayer, £1.2 million.

Whilst he was able to evade Police on the day, a swift investigation led by the Metropolitan Police, assisted by partners from BTP and Network Rail led to Seymour's identification, and arrest several days later.

At Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, 4 February, Seymour pleaded guilty to:

• Driving a motor vehicle dangerously
• Intentionally / recklessly causing a public nuisance
• Driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence - endorsable offence
• Using a motor vehicle on a road / public place without third party insurance

Ryan Seymour was jailed for 18 months at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, 4 February (Credit: Network Rail)

He was jailed for eight months for intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance through the act of trespassing onto the railway, and ten months for dangerous driving, with the two sentences to run consecutively.

Tom Desmond, Operations Director for Network Rail, said: "This prosecution demonstrates that there are severe consequences for those who trespass on the railway.

"Ensuring the safety of everyone involved in these difficult events is our top priority, including the safety of those who respond to such incidents.

"Additionally, the impact on the railway network from these events and our ability to serve our customers cannot be underestimated with the associated widespread disruption and multiple stranded trains.

"This individual was very lucky to escape unharmed, with the risk of both trains travelling through the area at nearly 100mph as well as the threat of the third rail, which carries enough voltage to kill – instantly."

Dan O'Riordan, Head of Security and Safety Assurance for South Western Railway, said: "Trespassing anywhere on the railway is extremely dangerous.

"This individual was very fortunate to escape unharmed, with the risk of trains travelling through the area at nearly 100mph as well as the threat of the third rail, which carries enough voltage to kill – instantly. We hope that the sentence passed by the court serves as a warning to others."

Detective Sergeant Tim Deans, from the Metropolitan Police, said: "Seymour caused widespread disruption across south-west London and beyond.

"The Met's investigation and the sentence handed to him demonstrates we will take action when people deliberately cause misery to others through criminal and anti-social behaviour."