A seagull was spotted boarding a London-bound train at Hastings station this afternoon (Tuesday, September 24), much to the surprise of passengers. The cheeky bird was captured on video by Paul Bromley, a Community Rail line officer at Southeast Communities Rail Partnership, as it casually wandered through the carriage alongside unsuspecting commuters.
In the amusing footage, the adventurous seagull can be seen strolling underneath the train seats before receiving some gentle persuasion from Paul to disembark. The bird finally got off the train at St Leonards Warrior Square station, where it took a brief walk along the platform before flying off.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Paul shared his quirky encounter with Southern Rail. He posted:
“Hi @SouthernRailUK – just to let you know I caught this fare dodger who boarded the 1525 service to London Victoria at Hastings station. With a little encouragement from me, he got off at St Leonards Warrior Square. He seemed in a bit of a flap, and passengers gave him the bird.”
The post has quickly gone viral, with social media users flocking to share their amusement at the seagull’s brief but eventful journey. Southern Rail has yet to comment on the winged stowaway, but it appears that the “fare dodger” made it home safely after its unexpected train adventure.
