A man whose threats to jump from a railway bridge led to signal problems in Runcorn and near Widnes has been jailed for four months.
Michael Livingstone, 45, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court on Friday, November 20, after pleading guilty to obstructing the railway, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.
The charge followed an incident shortly before 5.30pm on Wednesday, October 28, year when Livingstone climbed onto a railway bridge on Hungerford Road, Crewe, and sat on the parapet in a precarious position.
As he was sat directly above live rails, trains had to be cancelled and the electricity supply cut off.
This resulted in signalling problems at stations including Runcorn, Liverpool Lime Street, Warrington and Manchester Piccadilly and at Ditton Junction near Widnes and Speke and had a knock on effect on trains across the entire rail network.
After a four-hour stand off police negotiators managed to talk Livingstone down from the bridge.
A BTP spokeswoman said the total delay to trains as a results of Livingstone’s actions was 10,602 minutes, with 60 trains being cancelled and a cost to Network Rail of £1.3m.
In police interview Livingstone admitted the offence.
He was jailed last Friday and ordered to pay in £345 in court costs.
Chief inspector Sue Peters said: “This case clearly emphasises the impact of trespass and obstructing the railway.
“Livingstone’s actions affected a significant part of the rail network and the severity of his actions, along with the considerable cost incurred, are reflected in the custodial sentence handed to him.
“Incidents like these cause huge delays and have far reaching consequences, not least to the travelling public, many of whom had trains cancelled for several hours.”
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/