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HomeFarming NewsVideo of tractor driver with tanker sparks confusion
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Video of tractor driver with tanker sparks confusion

A video of a tractor driver releasing suspected floodwater into a railway station car park in the UK has sparked confusion across social media.

Footage of a tractor towing a slurry tanker being reversed into the station entrance has met with mixed reactions.

Initially, Network Rail issued a statement to media, saying the driver released “thousands of litres of filthy liquid which cascades down the station access road and onto the West Coast mainline below”.

According to some members of the public, the driver was assisting flood relief efforts.

Cheshire Live reported that some members of the public have rallied in support of the tractor driver, saying if “he was helping clear flood water that was threatening people’s homes, then they supported what he’d done”.

A member of the public filmed the footage at Hartford Station near Northwich in Cheshire on Wednesday, January 20th, as floods ravaged the region. They captured the video between the hours of 4 pm and 8 pm.

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Tractor driver, slurry tanker, tractor driving, machinery
Image credit: Network Rail
Storm Christoph

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “Storm Christoph had already forced the closure of several key rail links in the North West, but this act added Crewe to Warrington to the list, making life tougher still for Network Rail frontline teams battling against the elements to clear sections of flooded railway.”

Storm Christop brought significant rain and widespread flooding across various parts of the UK. Met Office issued an amber weather warning for rain on Tuesday and warned of 48-hour flooding. Separate yellow warnings for rain were issued for other parts, while an amber warning for rain was also put in place.

Floodwater can wash away the track foundation stone – known as ballast – making railway lines unstable, they stressed.”

Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “When we were already struggling with Storm Christoph, this cynical opportunist decided to use the railway as their own personal sewer.

“Seeing this video made my blood boil. We will be working with police to take the strongest action possible against this tractor driver for damaging the railway, delaying people and goods, and potentially putting the lives of passengers and workers at risk.”

According to the spokesperson, the footage was sent to Network Rail and then passed on to the British Transport Police who are “now looking into the footage”.

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