Passengers on a South Western Railway service from London to Portsmouth were left shell-shocked when a crab became a stowaway and sat in first class. The crustacean, later nicknamed Craig by the train driver, was spotted on Wednesday evening aboard the express service.
Driver Mark Walsh told BBC News he initially thought a colleague was winding him up when told a crab had boarded. But when the service reached its final stop, Walsh said, 'sure enough' the crab was 'chilling' on a seat. Some passengers noted the crustacean had its feet on the seat and joked about fare dodging. Walsh, who described himself as a 'dabhand at handling crabs' after taking his kids crabbing on holidays, said he had only 15 minutes to act before he needed to return the train to London. 'I could not delay the train indefinitely while I played international rescue for a crab,' he joked. He stroked the creature and could tell it was exhausted, so he moved it to a nearby park with a pond to make it comfortable.
The crab was named Craig by Walsh after the episode, and officials have not confirmed how the stowaway arrived on the carriage; some passengers speculated it may have come from London or been part of a prank. The driver noted the stop after Guildford as a turning point, and he stressed that the crab's origin remains unknown.
South Western Railway said it had been approached for comment. The company did not provide additional details at the time.
Observers characterized the moment as a rare, lighthearted episode on Britain's rail network, a note of whimsy amid routine commutes. The incident drew attention on social media and offered a reminder of travel's unpredictability.
