DOZENS of terrified passengers were evacuated from a train bound for Newcastle yesterday after fire broke out in its engine.
Staff at Bristol Temple Meads station raised the alarm as smoke poured from the 6.45am service as it left the platform.
The stricken machine spluttered on five miles to Bristol Parkway station where all 60 passengers were ushered off the Virgin Inter City train to complete their journey.
Firefighters on standby scrambled on to the roof of the locomotive and quickly extinguished the blaze in the rear engine.
Evacuated passengers, none of whom were injured, were diverted to another train which arrived in Newcastle an hour later than expected.
But despite the dramatic blaze Virgin Trains spokesman Steve Knight insisted the passengers were in no danger.
He said: "There was a flash flame in the exhaust and they were evacuated off the train as a precautionary measure. Passenger safety is our priority and this is why we took the action we did.
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