Drunk conductor locked passengers on train

Published on Friday 29 August 2008 10:21

A TRAIN conductor has been fined £400 after being caught drunk on duty at Edinburgh's main railway station.

Hundreds of passengers were stuck on board when the doors remained locked after arriving at Waverley earlier this month.

A frantic search by rail staff found Thomas Gracie, 40, asleep in the cab and the emergency door opening had to be used to let the passengers off.

The transport worker, of Morrison Crescent, pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday to being more than three times over the drink-drive limit while at work.

Charlotte Ludgate, defending, said Gracie had been diagnosed with an illness and a close friend had recently died of the same illness. He had lost his job with ScotRail because of the incident and was now in debt.

"He's ashamed of himself and accepts that he has a drink problem," said Miss Ludgate.

Sheriff Nigel Morrison QC said he had reduced the fine from 600 because Gracie had admitted the offence.