THESE are the two men police are looking for in connection with the dumping of a section of steel rail on the Malvern to London mainline which was hit by a passenger train.

The incident took place at 3.41pm on Wednesday, August 22, when a First Great Western passenger train struck a length of scrap rail on the line near Sling Lane, between the Great Malvern and Link stations.

None of the passengers or staff on board the 3.22pm service to London Paddington service was injured and the train remained upright and on the tracks.

However, the incident caused big delays for hundreds of passengers as services to and from Birmingham, Oxford and London, and the West Country were cancelled or held up.

Police say the outcome could have been far worse.

They are now keen to eliminate the two men from the investigation.

Detective Inspector Andy Irwin-Porter said: “This was an extremely serious incident which could so easily have resulted in tragedy.

“An investigation is ongoing to discover how the object came to be on the line and whether it had been placed there deliberately.

“As part of that investigation, I now need to identify the men in these photographs and speak to them about this incident.

“If you know their identity, or their whereabouts, please contact British Transport Police straight away.

“Alternatively, if you are one of the men in these photographs, it’s essential that you come forward and speak to us as you may have key information which can assist this investigation.”

Anyone with information about this incident should contact British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 405040 quoting reference B2/WWA of 05/09/2012 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.