Rats Shut Down the Rail Network at Rush Hour | Paddington 24/7 | S2 E2 | Our Stories

As rush hour approaches, the two main rail lines between Didcot and Paddington Station suddenly lose power. Congestion builds, tempers rise, and thousands of passengers are left waiting. The cause turns out to be unexpectedly small — rats have chewed through critical signalling cables, triggering a major failure across the network. Elsewhere, Mobile Operations Manager Mark Rowley is dispatched to investigate a lorry striking a railway bridge between Paddington and Oxford. Moments after giving the all clear, another bridge is hit — twice within an hour — this time leaving the lorry badly damaged. At the same time, trackside monitoring systems detect dangerously flat wheels on two separate trains, forcing one out of service and sending it to Plymouth depot to prevent the risk of derailment. Back at Paddington, station staff face a medical emergency when a woman suffers a suspected cardiac arrest at the ticket barriers. Station Supervisor Dave must administer first aid while waiting for paramedics to arrive. The pressure intensifies further when containers of an unknown chemical are discovered onboard a train and removed to Platform 8. With the country on high alert following a nerve agent scare, British Transport Police officer Alex Hoad treats the situation as a potential threat, halting trains and sealing off the area while specialist units are called in. This episode of Paddington 24/7 shows how multiple incidents — big and small — can collide to push Britain’s rail network to the brink. Subscribe to Our Stories: https://bit.ly/3lzSXhv This film was first broadcast: 2018 Check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OurStoriesChannel Watch More Documentaries Up Close - youtube.com/@UpCloseITVS True Lives - https://bit.ly/3A8xRMJ Our History - https://bit.ly/3rUpdhL Our World - https://bit.ly/3ftuckM Our Stories - https://bit.ly/3ynfFyk Taste - https://bit.ly/3OZoDcV Blueprint - http://bit.ly/3ZK5UdD Welcome to Our Stories, your home on YouTube for our exciting range of fly-on-the-wall style documentaries and special access reality programmes which will give you an inside look into the everyday lives of people; exploring what life is like for those working in education, healthcare, policing and many others! Content distributed by ITV Studios.