It used to be leaves on the line or the wrong type of snow that delayed the trains. Now it’s wallabies.

Rail passengers travelling over the Pennines between Huddersfield and Stalybridge saw trains halted on Friday morning after a wallaby went hop-about.

A stray wallaby has been spotted around Slaithwaite and Marsden over the last few days but it caused rail bosses a headache when it headed for the tracks.

It is thought the wallaby is one of three who lives at an isolated farm at Slaithwaite.

A runaway wallaby spotted in Slaithwaite. Photo: Jonny Haigh
A runaway wallaby spotted in Slaithwaite. Photo: Jonny Haigh

Back in 2013 the Examiner reported how one of the wallabies from Hey Leys Farm at Cop Hill went on the run for a week.

The wallaby – a male curiously named Our Betty – hopped off and was sighted here, there and everywhere before being eventually captured and taken home.

At 11.15am on Friday train services over the trans-Pennine line had to run at reduced speeds while attempts were made to capture the creature.

A spokesman for First Transpennine Express said: “An e-mail came through from our control centre saying there was an animal on the lines.

“Then another came through to say it was a kangaroo, and then it was changed again to say it was a wallaby!

“This is definitely a new one for us but, most importantly, we are pleased that the wallaby was not harmed on the tracks and is hopefully now finding their way home.”

Network Rail spokesman Ross Easton said: “With summer holidays coming up, we are reminding everyone – especially kids and young people – to stay off the tracks.

“However, wallabies are a new one on us. We hope the little critter will have hopped off the track and back to safety.”

Postman Jonny Haigh, 44, of Slaithwaite, who spotted a wallaby on the loose.
Postman Jonny Haigh, 44, of Slaithwaite, who spotted a wallaby on the loose.

There have been sightings all over Slaithwaite and Marsden in the last few days.

Postman Jonny Haigh, 44, of Slaithwaite, who helped capture Our Betty three years ago, said he was pretty sure it was the same wallaby.

“Because of my job I get around and I have seen him loads of times,” he said. “I’ve seen him again and taken some pictures and I was flagged down in my van further down the road by a woman who said: ‘Don’t think I’ve been on the gin but a kangaroo has just come past me!’”