Back in January 2025, a man caused 50 hours of delay in Sheffield following assaulting a man at Sheffield station.

Gary Cawthorne, aged 40, entered the station, punched a man unprovoked, and when an officer searched for him to take his details, he refused to get off the train he was on.

He then ran off down the tracks to nearby tunnels, where he climbed an electrical circuit box. He proceeded to arm himself with a railway bolt, preventing both paramedics and officers from getting near him for four hours, before he came down.

His actions prevented trains from running, causing 36 cancellations, 65 partial cancellations and 50 hours of delay.

Following a British Transport Police investigation, he appeared in court earlier this month and was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail for Obstructing the Railway, Affray and Assault.

“Cawthorne’s reckless actions caused significant disruption to the rail network and had a huge impact on passengers and railway colleagues.

“Trespass on the railway is extremely dangerous because it puts not only the offender’s life at risk, but also those of the teams who respond to incidents. We welcome this court result and hope that it serves as a clear reminder that behaviour like this is completely unacceptable.”

Karen Duffy, Network Rail operations director