Passengers stranded for two hours after high speed train catches FIRE

More than 100 passengers were stranded for over two hours today when a high speed commuter train caught fire.

The 07.09 service from Worcester to Paddington ground to a halt near Minety Crossing in Wiltshire as flames were spotted in its leading engine.

Fire crews raced to the scene and quickly tackled the blaze at around 08.30 without the passengers being evacuated.

But they remained stuck on board for another two hours as the fire had damaged the engine and left it inoperable.

After lengthy safety checks the train eventually limped into Swindon with the remaining engine, where passengers were transferred to other services.

First Great Western said the incident caused significant disruption to other trains in the area for several hours.

A spokesman said: “There was no danger to the passengers as the fire was spotted quickly and confined to the leading power car which was some distance away from them.

“The fire was put out quickly and our staff looked after passengers as they were kept on board while safety checks were carried out.”