Air ambulance rushes school pupil to hospital after Shildon rail incident

A teenage girl has been left with life-threatening injuries following an incident on railway tracks in County Durham, prompting a major emergency response and disruption to train services.

Emergency crews were called to the scene in Shildon shortly after 8am on Wednesday 22 April. Police, paramedics and the Great North Air Ambulance Service attended, with the teenager later airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary for urgent treatment.

The British Transport Police confirmed the girl’s injuries are life-threatening but stated the incident is not being treated as suspicious.

The teenager is understood to be a pupil at Greenfield Academy. Headteacher James Keating said:

“We can confirm that earlier this morning, off site, an incident occurred concerning a pupil from Greenfield Academy and we are liaising closely with the emergency services while providing support for our children and the wider school community. The family of the child involved have been informed.”

Emergency responders have outlined the scale of the operation. A spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance Service said:

"Our critical care team was activated at 8.06am to an incident in Shildon. We had two doctors and a paramedic on board our aircraft and they arrived on scene at 8.15am. Our team worked alongside the North East Ambulance Service to assess and treat a patient and airlifted them to hospital."

The North East Ambulance Service added:

"We were called to an incident on the train line at Shildon, shortly before 8am. We dispatched a double-crewed ambulance, a duty officer, a clinical team leader and were supported by GNAAS. One patient was taken by air to the Royal Victoria Infirmary."

Rail services between Darlington railway station and Bishop Auckland railway station were suspended while emergency services dealt with the situation.

Services have since resumed, with National Rail confirming the line has reopened.

A spokesperson said:

"Following the emergency services dealing with an incident between Darlington and Bishop Auckland, all lines have now reopened."

Image(s): Google Maps & Great North Air Ambulance Service