Just need to share this as I am still shaking from a near tragedy.

We are currently living in Bamburgh-yes, we had the terrible storm with damage and powercuts- and had to travel today to a site visit of the new build we are buying in Amble. We left early this morning with all the dogs. We had shopping to do and a stop off at Alnmouth Station to pick up one of our sons who has come up from Eastbourne for a few days. It is dreadfully windy here again with heavy rain causing road closures. The drive down the A! was awful with heavy good vehicles and poor visibility. As I said, we had 4 dogs with us, including Freya, our 5 year old GR who has car phobia. It is always a struggle to get her into the car although once she is in, she now settles, an improvement on the whining and drooling she used to do for the entire journey.

We had 15 mins to wait for the train so we thought we'd get the dogs out to stretch their legs and give us a chance to tidy up the boot of the car as Freya had shuffled all the rugs into a heap as usual. As we loaded them back in , Freya broke free. At first she just ran around the empty car park with us calling and whistling her as well as trying to catch her. Then it happened, she got onto the platform and onto the track. I was beside myself with panic. A LNER had just raced through at 90mph and other trains were due. I will never forget the sight of her running along the southbound line. Fortunately her attention was caught by people waitibg for the next train south and they called her. We were on the northbound platform with a bridge to get over. Two or three people managed to haul her up to safety while my husband got over to get her

I am still shaking. She could have caused a derailment and loss of life if a train had had to do an emergency stop. she would certainly have been killed, along with passengers on the train. I still can't understand why she ran from us. it was windy and yes, she doesn't like the car but she always know when 'the game is up'. But not today.

I was so grateful to the people who got her to safety. I was perhaps too shaken at the time to thank them enough. I am just haunted by what happened and what could have happened today at Alnmouth Station.

Oh my word Jan what an awful thing to happen, just as well goldens like people so much they happily go to them. I’m so glad it ended well, but it will haunt you for some time to come I imagine.

OMG Jan.  I just logged on to read this.  You must have been terrified!  Was somebody able to give you a cuppa soo you could sit down and recover.  This stormy weather is enough to unsettle me, never mind 'mine'.   We've had some escapes in our time, but happily always out in the sticks where there was no panic other than getting them back.

I hope you have power on up there so you can get yourselves back into the warm and perhaps instead of a cuppa, a good 'stiff one' would be in order.

How are the other dogs through all that?

How scary! I hope everyone’s recovering. Thank goodness for the nice people that grabbed her.

Thank you to all replies so far. We are now home but I still keep having flash backs and crying sessions.

I feel utterly guilty for what happened and what might have been. You have all said such kind things. I realise what comfort there is on this forum. I know i can come over quite feisty but I am pretty pathetic  inside really.

The train line has no 3rd/electric rail, just overhead wires. Had this been down in East Sussex she would have been electrocuted.

We were only off power for 24 hours although a lot of damage to the adjacent holiday rentals. The house we sold in Berwickshire was without power for 5 days and nights and some neighbours are still without power. Many of the  trees I loved so much there are down and our buyers are having to cope with roof repairs and fallen trees. I feel bad about that too.

Freya has been very subdued ( for her) since we got back. I have a large glass of in hand.

xx

Very scary but fortunately a happy ending.  Just a thought, but if there is a local paper for the area it would be nice to contact them and ask them to print a thanks to the people who helped catch your dog.

Good Lord what a terrible experience a memory that becomes a living nightmare. So glad the result was all good the above.

Oh my, what a heart stopping moment Jan!  Please don't feel guilty, it really was a completely unforeseen incident. I've met your dogs, they're all really calm and well behaved!

That's animals though isn't it, even the best can sometimes do bizarre things, I once had two borzois chase a little dog out the field we were in, along a busy A road, round a roundabout and back along the A road, they could have caught it at any time, they didn't want to, they were just enjoying the chase - while I panicked about multi car pileups!!

That is a good idea. Will do. Or at least put up a thank you  notice at the station

Thank you Chaumsong. It will always be with me. That and the sense of disbelief at what i was seeing. No way will Freya ever be allowed near a train station again,ever !

I hope you and yours have recovered and are feeling a bit better today!!