Drunk student tries to hitch-hike home to Derby on the roof of a train

He tried to catch a ride on the 2am from Piccadiily


A smashed student who wanted to go home tried to catch a lift by lying on the top of a Piccadilly train.

Panicked staff spotted first year Phil Withers sprawled across the top of one of the train’s coaches at 2am, just metres away from the 33,000 volt wires.

The prankster, who claimed he scrambled on to the roof after the doors wouldn’t open, had been drinking all day and was “absolutely intoxicated.”

He said: “I wanted to get home. In the state I was in I thought it was a brilliant idea.”

He tried to get on the 2am from Piccadilly

Staff told the student, who studies at Derbyshire Uni, to stay still while the power was isolated.

And the stint caused major disruptions to incoming trains.

A member of rail staff said: “This caused three trains coming in and out of Manchester to be delayed for nearly an hour.”

Now, Withers has been fined £750 and ordered to attend alcohol workshops after the drunken blunder cost Network Rail a huge £13000.

He’s also been handed a year-long community order, and a one month 9pm-6am curfew after pleading guilty to endangering the safety of the railways.