Wayward flying fox sparked peak-hour rail chaos

Train commuters heading home in Melbourne, Australia, faced major delays last night after a bat short-circuited a section of line. Train operator Metro urged people to leave work early to avoid overcrowding and delays of up to two hours.



Metro said a large number of signals and switches blew out when the flying fox tried to fly between a live wire and a support structure at about 5am - and that trains would have to travel at a reduced speed as they tried to fix the problem.

"The bat has short circuited a significant section of the line and blown out a large number of signals and switches. The damage is extensive," Metro said.


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"Suffice to say, the bat is no longer with us. It was his untimely departure that has caused the extent of the damage."