A woman who ran down railway tracks into the path of an oncoming train following a drunken argument at Dundee station has avoided a jail term.
Gail Phillips was told she had placed her own and other people’s lives in danger after repeatedly trying to punch another passenger before jumping on to the tracks as the London King’s Cross to Aberdeen train approached the station.
The 55-year-old’s actions caused train delays of almost three hours at a cost of thousands of pounds to Network Rail.
Phillips was sentenced to a six-month community payback order at Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
Staff had seen an intoxicated Phillips arguing with another woman on platform four at around 7.40pm on November 30.
Phillips had then approached a group of young people and made several attempts to punch one of them.
At a previous hearing, depute fiscal Douglas Wiseman told the court: “The accused was seen running towards the end of platform one in the direction of the Tay Bridge. She ran on to the railway line and disappeared from view.”
Concerned staff immediately arranged an emergency stop on all trains before calling British Transport Police.
Mr Wiseman said: “A staff member stayed at the end of platform one and saw what he thought was the accused in the bushes 60 yards on to the tracks.
“He then saw her stand up and fall over. She then got up and walked towards him but stopped and tried to hide behind a signal.
“Once the witness was aware that all the trains had stopped, he tried to coax the accused to cross the tracks and come on to the platform.
“The accused, however, ran off further down the tracks in the opposite direction of the station.
“Police then went on to the tracks and walked west approximately 300 yards or more and traced the accused lying on her back at the side of the railway tracks.”
The incident resulted in delays of 165 minutes with an estimated cost to Network Rail of £4,639.
Phillips, of Bloomfield Road, Arbroath, admitted committing a breach of the peace on November 30.