Escaped ‘individual’ caught on video trying to board train in Australia — on four legs
Transportation officials in Australia warned commuters an escaped “individual” was trying to board a train in a western suburb of Sydney.
Then surveillance footage showed a horse politely waiting on the platform.
“Missing individual: the individual was last seen heading to Warwick Farm Railway Station after escaping heavy rain,” Transport for New South Wales wrote in an April 10 Facebook post. “He was reported to be wearing only a rug and demonstrating a bit of horseplay.”
The “individual” was a runaway racehorse that had escaped from a nearby farm around midnight on April 5, 9News reported.
In photos shared by officials, the horse is seen walking up to the train station, crossing the platform, then stopping at the safety line that keeps people far enough away from the track.
There, he waits as a train pulls into the station, but the doors stay closed.
The train’s conductor had been warned about the runaway ahead of time, Sydney Trains chief executive Matthew Longland told 9News, and was instructed to not open the doors for fears the horse would try to board.
”From time to time we do find animals on tracks, particularly cows on longer regional services,” Longland told the outlet. “This one was a little bit unusual, as it was a horse at a suburban station. It’s a wonder the horse didn’t try to board the train, to be honest.”
After his attempts at escape were thwarted, the horse walked back out to the parking lot, transportation officials said.
There, he “was taken in by his owner and he was returned to his residence in a stable condition,” officials said.
No “further action” is planned against the runaway, or his owner, since he was “only horsing around,” transportation officials said.
“Kind of iconic… yay or neigh?” the New South Wales Police Force commented on the Facebook post.
“Oh man! It’s the Pony Express!” one commenter said.
Others pointed out the horse’s manners.
“Standing behind the yellow line. Well done,” another commenter said.
