Train traffic stopped an hour for a swan

The news story that’s another life lesson in why travelers going to the airport or train station should always allow some extra time just in case—

I’m glad it didn’t turn into a Swan Song.

The rescue/resumption f train service certainly took lots of people. Hopefully the delay did’t ruin anyone’s day. The swan certainly came out intact, although it’s going to need to find a more suitable place to settle in the future.

So does the “S” in S-Bahn stand for “swan?” Swan-Bahn?

So does the “S” in S-Bahn stand for “swan?” Swan-Bahn?

Nice idea.

Haha, good one! Actually, the "S" in S-Bahn stands for "Stadtschnellbahn" which means "city rapid train" in German. But I like your Swan-Bahn suggestion much better!

Observations/musings

1- Train driver must have exceptional vision to see a bird on the tracks to be able to stop the train
2- How long does it take to 'shoo' a bird from train tracks?

3- Had I been on the train and on a schedule, I might have advocated for the train to eliminate such a stupid bird from the gene pool and get on to the destination.
4- the federal police were deployed and rescue workers removed the swan from the tracks ......... along the lines of 'How many union workers does it take to change a light bulb'?

Huh! A Black Swan event!

-- Mike Beebe

Swans are popular animals in Germany.

An extreme but true example: the Hamburg swan service is a municipal department. It has a centuries-old tradition, as swans are regarded as a symbol of freedom and independence in Hamburg - and as one of the city's landmarks. The office of swan warden has existed since 1674, which means that Olaf Nieß holds what is probably the oldest position in the city of Hamburg. To prevent them from freezing into ice each autumn the Alster swans are brought into winter quarters and each spring the warden guides them back.

train drivers are trained to observe all hazards from a distance. I have been on many trains which stopped for dogs. Train crew are human too, and many have pets.

A large white swan with a six foot wingspan is much easier to see than a small brown dog.

The space between the rails, known to rail crew as the 4-foot, and around, known as the six foot, should be empty - something where it doesn't belong quickly attracts the attention of the Driver. Remember that they are always watching for other hazards placed by vandals, such as tyres which we often had in my years around Birmingham, England.

I’m glad to hear that the train stopped for the swan even though the process of shepherding of the swan to a safer place was inconvenient and caused delays for the train crew and passengers.

Its Germany. Perhaps they stopped to make sure the swan had the proper rail pass.

This reminds me of the 2021 incident at London Euston, where a cat relaxing on top of a train prevented its departure. Credit to the person who noticed the cat up there. I'm sure I wouldn't have. The article says passengers were switched to another train rather than having to wait while the cat was convinced to leave, which took more than two hours.

https://pictures-of-cats.org/picture-of-a-cat-on-top-of-an-express-train-preventing-its-departure.html

acraven, that’s a funny story. The cat is totally oblivious to the disruption it’s causing - or just doesn’t care :-).

When I first read this post I thought what an incredible inconvenience. But today it sounds vastly preferable than the unexploded bomb near the Gare du Nord tracks. Wow.