A swan held up 23 trains for almost an hour after refusing to leave the side of its dead companion. According to German police, the bird had to be removed by firefighters using special equipment.

Swan song

A swan delayed trains for almost an hour after settling on the high-speed rail line between Kassel and Göttingen in central Germany. The swan resisted attempts to lure it away and stayed by the body of the dead swan, which likely died after getting caught in the overhead power lines. According to the British Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, swans usually mate for life.

23 trains were delayed for around 50 minutes on December 23, as firefighters had to be called in to lift the swan and the body of its companion from the track using specialist equipment. The surviving swan was released onto the River Fulda unharmed.