Snake on a train scares Swiss travellers

Hundreds of passengers on a train in Switzerland had to disembark while authorities searched for a snake that was spotted by anxious passengers.

450 people got off the train while police searched for the 50cm long non-venomous garter snake.

The snake was spotted by early morning commuters as they boarded the Bern to Basel service.

The passengers were put on another train that left around half an hour later.

Donatella Del Vecchio, a spokeswoman for the SBB national rail company, said: “All 450 passengers on the train were evacuated.”

Bern Police eventually tracked the reptile down, finding it curled up in a ventilation shaft.

Ms Del Vecchio commented that she suspected a passenger had taken the snake onto the train and it had escaped.