England sees cockroach infestation on trains: Services cancelled

It was reported that the trains of the company operating on the railway lines in southern England, Southeast, suffered a cockroach infestation. After pests were detected in the carriages and locomotive cabins, some trains were taken out of service, and the incident also sparked debate within the company.

According to internal company messages that The Telegraph received, some locomotive drivers refused to board trains suspected of having cockroaches. It was reported that employees accused management of not taking the problem seriously enough.

"Cockroach Express" Continued the Journey

It was reported that a train named 'Cockroach Express' by company employees made several trips between London and Kent stations on Tuesday, despite insects being detected.

After a locomotive driver saw cockroaches in a section of the train, two carriages were locked and taken out of service. However, it was recorded that the train continued its trips.

On Friday morning, pest control teams were called to the West Marina depot. A minibus belonging to a pest control company was seen in front of the personnel entrance on Cliftonville Road. The minibus driver said that his company had a regular pest control contract with some of Southeast's depots.

Engineer Refused to Enter Cab Without Protective Suit

In the service control records sent by company employees to The Telegraph, details were also included about how the train, found to have a track rat, continued the journey.

According to a Southwestern incident record created at the beginning of the week, one of the engineers, concerned about the track rats getting onto him, refused to enter the train cab unless he was given a 'white, full protective suit'.

However, it was noted that the required protective suit could not be found. Consequently, two trips were cancelled, including a train that was blocked because of the train with the track rat.

It was alleged that the Southeast maintenance teams tried to remove the train with the track rat from service, but according to internal company records, the trip control teams were not informed of the situation.

Therefore, it was reported that the train continued to operate throughout Tuesday, with the carriage where the track rats were seen, and the immediately adjacent carriage was locked and closed off for passenger use.

Chairmen Also Concerned Passengers

Nearly three years ago, the number of incidents involving broken toilet seats on trains rose sharply, causing panic among passengers, it was reported. During that period, a portion of the incidents was said to be linked to the resurgence of travel following the Covid‑19 pandemic.

The small, brown cockroaches, especially in warm, humid areas and cracks of beds and furniture, are found. Usually, their bites, which appear at night, can cause redness and stains on the skin.

It is indicated that bringing the chairlift operation under control is time‑consuming and costly. In some cases, it may even be necessary to dismantle large pieces of furniture that have been affected by the chairlift.

Meanwhile, the incident on Southeastern trains occurred after another royal palace scandal came to light in England. The Guardian reported that a similar scandal was uncovered at a central building near King’s Cross, and hazmat teams were called in to clean and fumigate the building.