Dehydrated swans rescued after mistaking rail lines for rivers during hot weather

Network Rail Southern says staff are dealing with incidents of dehydrated swans needing support next to rail lines in the region in the hot weather.

Emergency response teams from the Basingstoke based Network Rail Wessex Route are specially trained to deal with swans on lines near the Thames in Surrey and Berkshire to Waterloo.

Many mistakenly believe rail lines are rivers when the sunlight reflects on the tracks and can cause harm to the swans.

One swan was helped on one of the main routes from Surrey to Waterloo.

Paul Dent-Jones from Network Rail said: "A train driver had seen a swan looking like it was in distress near the tracks and it was potentially disrupting trains.

He added: "So we had to send one of our mobile operations managers down to the site, and there they found a swan, extremely dehydrated, but they were able to rescue it and give it some water."

The swan was taken to a nearby swan sanctuary to recover. Staff at Network Rail are trained by swan centres near the Thames how to rescue and deal with them.

Anyone who sees an animal on the tracks is advised to ring the Network Rail helpline on 03457 11 41 41.