Feathered fiasco: Herring Gull halts trains at Brighton Station

A bird caused disruption at Brighton train station on April 2 by wandering onto the tracks during rush hour.

Thameslink had to shut down three platforms around 7:00.PM to safely remove the bird, which was identified as a herring gull.

This affected services like the Brighton to London route and the Gatwick Express, causing delays until around 8:20.PM.

Thameslink advised passengers to leave 20 minutes earlier for their journeys and to check for updates on departures.

Some passengers joked about the situation being an April Fool’s prank or questioned if herring gulls are truly endangered.

One traveller expressed frustration over cancellations and feeling stranded in bad weather.

Thameslink later apologised for the inconvenience and reassured passengers that the bird was removed safely, even sharing a picture of the young gull.

Despite being common in coastal areas, herring gulls have been on a conservation watchlist since 2009 due to declining populations.

This status indicates increasing concern for their conservation, as determined by leading bird conservation organisations in the UK.