Virgin Trains
A passenger tweeted Virgin Trains complaining of a noise (Picture: PA)

It is a sound you don’t want to hear on a fast train: loud clattering noises from under your seat.

Most of us would find the crew and ask what’s going on – but one tech-savvy traveller had other ideas.

Alex Burrows decided to tweet Virgin Trains about the banging and it promised to look into the issue.

Minutes later, Virgin called the train manager, who brought the packed rush-hour service to a stop.

The commuter said: ‘It shows the world has changed, that passengers get listened to and can play a part in customer service.’

Mr Burrows was on a morning train from Birmingham to Milton Keynes last Monday when the ruckus began.

He started to worry that metal had come loose underneath his carriage.

His tweets led to the driver delaying the train to inspect the coach from the track. The checks confirmed it was safe to continue and the Pendolino stayed in service throughout the day.

The father of one added: ‘Not for one minute would a train be stopped blocking the West Coast Main Line on the say of one passenger. But they must have seen something that made them feel an inspection was needed.’

Once the train arrived in London, a damaged sandpipe was spotted under the coach where Mr Burrows had sat.

‘We thank him for bringing it to our attention,’ a Virgin spokesman said.