TEXAS police have arrested a man accused of attempting to steal a 107-wagon Union Pacific grain train. Seeing the train idling at a station, he boarded it and released the locomotive brakes. However, finding himself unable to release the train brakes, he radioed the crew of an oncoming train for advice, and they promptly arranged for the police to attend.

Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley said ’it isn’t the first time someone has tried to take off with one of our trains. It is, however, the first time they asked for help.’

When the police asked him where he was intending to go, the suspect replied ’wherever the train went.’

CAPTION: South Africa’s Spoornet has complained that its infrastructure is being stolen a piece at a time in shopping trolleys and carts. Over 3 000 track clips have been stolen near Jacobs, for sale to unscrupulous scrap dealers in Durban. The components have minimal scrap value, but the costs to the railway of delays can be huge, and knock-on effects damage the whole economy

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