A MAN has appeared in court over an incident at Crewe Rail Station which led to a rail operator having to pay out £824,243 worth of compensation.

An emergency operation was mounted on September 16 last year which led to trains being cancelled and delayed, while Nantwich Road was closed off to traffic.

Andrew Paul Horton appeared at South Cheshire Magistrates' Court in connection with the incident.

Horton, 36, of Peter Street, Macclesfield faces a charge of causing an obstruction of an engine using the railway by threatening to jump on the running lines dangerously close to overhead cables at Nantwich Road Overbridge.

The court heard electrical power lines were turned off at the station before a negotiating team dealt with the incident and the defendant was brought to safety.

As a result 41 trains were cancelled and 54 were rescheduled with delays to services amounting to 3,776 minutes. Rail hubs as far afield as Birmingham and London were affected and the court was told Network Rail had to reimburse a total of £824,243 to customers.

Horton did not enter a plea and magistrates agreed to send the case to the crown court.

The defendant's solicitor, Richard Sibeon, said a psychiatric report would need to be prepared which would help determine his plea at the higher court.

Horton is due to appear at Chester Crown Court on March 13.