MORE than 100 rail passengers were left stranded during rush-hour after a train was pulled from service because of vandalism.

Schoolchildren and commuters were ordered off the train at Swale station, near the Kingsferry Bridge, on Tuesday afternoon.

Many students made frantic phone calls to parents, worried they would have to walk home.

The Class 508, three-carriage, 219 capacity train, leaving Sittingbourne for Sheppey at 16.05, is almost always full.

A passenger said: "We suddenly stopped for about five minutes after leaving Kemsley Station and no one knew what was going on.

"When it started to move again a message was broadcast to say that, as a result of vandalism, the train would be terminated.

"Everyone was annoyed and there was a lot of phoning home and confusion. The station was pretty full. There wasn’t much room to move. Some people went down to the parking area to wait for lifts."

South Eastern Trains’ press officer Nigel Jarrett said: "The train had to be withdrawn from service on safety grounds. Safety of staff and passengers is paramount.

"People on that train were asked to disembark at Swale Halt where they could wait for subsequent trains. An inquiry is under way to determine what happened."

The train returned to Sittingbourne where it was examined by fitters and a replacement train was put into service within the hour.