Network Rail manager in charge when passengers were left stranded steps down
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A Network Rail manager who was in charge when passengers were left stranded on trains near London Paddington for more than three hours will leave her post at the end of the year.
Michelle Handforth, managing director for the Wales and Western region, which includes Paddington, has announced her intention to step down and her successor will take over on January 1, Network Rail said.
The three-hour delays came after multiple system faults and damaged rails led to repeated hold-ups in the weeks before the incident on December 7.
On Sunday, Network Rail initially said she had stepped down after the chaos but later said she had resigned before then.
Hundreds of people including singer James Blunt and TV presenter Rachel Riley were stuck in cold, dark carriages after an overhead cable fault caused all trains to come to a standstill.
Pictures and videos shared on social media showed commuters sitting in dimly lit carriages before they were eventually taken off the train.
National Rail, Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services were all disrupted and some passengers said they heard no information from rail operators and were unable to go to the toilet.
Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said: “I would like to thank Michelle for her hard work and support over these past three and a half years.”
