A ROUTINE trip home turned to terror for 100 Glasgow commuters when a 25,000-volt power cable collapsed on to their train.

Shocked passengers were trapped in carriages just outside Easterhouse in Glasgow after the train suddenly jarred to a halt.

And today witness Thomas O'Donnell said passengers were left waiting in fear for half-an-hour before rescuers arrived to arrange a precarious transfer to another train.

The Evening Times vendor praised fellow passengers for staying calm when their journey on Tuesday was violently interrupted.

Mr O'Donnell was on the train relaxing after a shift at his city centre pitch when he heard a loud bang "like a giant elastic band snapping".

And he soon realised there was a real problem with the overhead cable which powers the electric train service.

He said: "The driver hit the emergency brakes and we stopped really hard.

"All of the lights on the train went out and I heard something hit the roof. Then a cable fell down by the side of the train and hit the window next to me."

The accident hit the 5.23pm Balloch to Airdrie service, which goes through Queen Street, just as it was leaving Easterhouse station.

Engineers had to clear traffic from another train line and then take a rescue train to the scene, before laying a gangplank between the carriages to let passengers escape.

The 41-year-old said: "Some of the passengers were a lot older so they did well making it across."

The passengers were taken to waiting buses at Easterhouse station for transfer to the remaining stops, and Mr O'Donnell arrived home to wife Jennifer, 24, and daughter Alison, two, in Coatbridge nearly an hour later than expected.

The cause of the incident, known as a "dewirement", remained unknown today as Network Rail officials continued an investigation.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "We apologise to anyone who was affected by the dewirement."

Normal services were restored after the rush hour on Wednesday morning.