VISITORS had to be rescued after Chester Zoo’s monorail train broke down – just over a week after its £300,000 upgrade was unveiled.

Firefighters had to be called to the zoo at 11.05am on Saturday after the three-carriage train ground to a halt due to an electrical fault on the track.

Crews used a seven metre extension ladder to bring five adults and three children to safety. They were then looked after by zoo staff.

Watch manager Chris Rodaway said: “The first bonus for crews was that the monorail was not located over the lions’ enclosure, and the wild boars that were to be located in this area weren’t due to move in until the following week.

“I have to praise the effectiveness of the zoo staff and the people for being so calm. Once we brought them down they carried on enjoying their visit.”

Martin Clancy, head of marketing at the zoo, said: “It broke down due to a loss of power to the track. Usually we can reset it but we couldn’t restore the power so the most convenient solution was to evacuate them from the train.

“Because of the position of the train we needed assistance from the fire service. They came and the passengers were evacuated safely and professionally. We then treated them to lunch and refreshments.

“The service was suspended for the rest of the day but was back up and running on Sunday.”

Music millionaire and self-confessed train enthusiast Pete Waterman had launched the revamped monorail train the previous week.

The motor and mechanics of the monorail – the only one of its kind in the country – have been updated to make the 24-seater train completely automated, faster, smoother and more efficient.

More than 25 miles of cable were laid in the redevelopment, which was about 18 years old before the upgrade.