UK: Snake on a train causes passengers to flee in chaos

Commuters were shocked to find what appeared to be a corn snake in their carriage. Photo / Sophie Johnstone

Commuters fled a carriage after an orange snake slithered into their train.

The reptile was spotted on the train travelling from Shipley to Leeds on Saturday. It is believed to be a corn snake and was discovered on the West Yorkshire route near a door.

An image shows the red and orange snake emerging from a corner and spreading out across the train carpet.

Sophie Johnstone posted a picture of the animal on Twitter and wrote:

OH LORD there is an actual SNAKE on this train. pic.twitter.com/FqmNHCbLam

— Sophie Johnstone (@soph_johnstone) July 22, 2023

Earlier this month, the RSPCA advised pet owners to keep their snakes secure as hot weather can “make the animals very active and more likely to escape”.

It received more than 1200 reports about snakes last year, with the highest number of calls coming in the summer months.

Throughout June, July and August, as many as six reports a day were made, according to the RSPCA.

Evie Button, senior scientific officer at the RSPCA, said: “This is not surprising, as snakes become more active during hot weather.

“So we would urge all pet snake owners to be extra vigilant at this time of year, invest in an enclosure suitable for the particular species and make sure that the enclosure is kept secure – and locked if necessary – when unattended.”

The number of snakes kept as household pets has shot up from 500,000 to 700,000 in the last year, UK Pet Food said.

Johnstone’s tweet has been viewed more than 2.4 million times and has thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.

Hazera Forth wrote in response: “The one at home has often escaped into a laptop bag or other snug place. It’s entirely possible the person had no idea they were carrying it out of the house.”