SEVERAL TRAINS CANCELLED DUE TO PRESENCE OF BEDBUGS

LONDON, OCTOBER 3 /SRNA/ - Several train departures on routes in southern England have been cancelled due to a bedbug infestation found in drivers’ cabs and inside passenger carriages, railway company and union officials said.

According to The Telegraph, services have been suspended and the carriages sealed off after train drivers refused to enter cabs where they had spotted the insects.

A bedbug infestation has been detected at a railway station near Hastings in East Sussex, which serves routes between London and Kent. Bedbugs have also been spotted on the high-speed trains operated by Southeastern, raising fears that the pests could spread.

According to internal messages, train drivers found bedbugs in their cabs and saw them crawling on their luggage, prompting the cancellation of services on at least three routes yesterday.

Earlier, on Tuesday, September 28, a train already dubbed the “Bedbug Express” made several trips between stations in London and Kent with two carriages locked and taken out of service after the driver spotted insects in that part of the train.

An unnamed spokesperson for the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers said the union was working closely with the company to resolve the very difficult situation.

So far, four trains have been reported to have bedbugs.