AN accident on the railway was reported in the Malvern Gazette a century ago.

"By a peculiar accident on the railway between Henwick and Bransford, on Monday, the late passenger train from Worcester to Malvern was considerably delayed, but luckily no serious harm was caused," said the paper.

"It appears that a goods train, laden with hop poles, left Ashperton, near Ledbury, for Worcester, and soon after it had passed Bransford, just before 11pm, a large number of the poles became uncorded and fell off the trucks upon the track, the noise they made intimating to those in charge that something was wrong.

"The engine-driver consequently stopped the train. Just then the passenger train approached, and its driver, being informed by the driver of the goods train of the obstruction on the line, pulled up.

"He was unable to stop the train, however, before it got amongst the hop poles, some of which got caught amongst the axles of the carriages.

"Information was conveyed to Mr Dunsby, the stationmaster at Henwick, just after 11 o'clock, and he at once got a few men together and proceeded to the spot.

"These set about clearing the line and the axles of the carriages, and by a quarter to 12 the passenger train resumed its journey, those on board sending up a ringing cheer when they started off."

The whole experience, said the Gazette, was "not, however, anything like as eventful as that of the travellers who were discommoded by the breakdown of the Teme bridge 20 years ago".