Trains were cancelled in northwest England this week after a suspected AI-generated picture appeared to show major damage to a bridge following a rare earthquake.
The 3.3 magnitude tremor was felt across Lancashire and the southern Lake District on Wednesday night.
While no damage was reported from the quake, a photograph spread on social media which appeared to show major damage to a bridge in Lancaster.
Network Rail stopped services across the Carlisle Bridge for about an hour and a half as safety inspections were carried out.
Thirty-two services, including passenger trains and freight trains, were delayed.
Upon discovering the image was fake, the organisation urged people to think about the impact before creating or sharing hoax photos, the BBC reported.
"The disruption caused by the creation and sharing of hoax images and videos like this creates a completely unnecessary delay to passengers at a cost to the taxpayer," a spokesperson said.
"It adds to the high workload of our frontline teams, who work extremely hard to keep the railway running smoothly.
"The safety of rail passengers and staff is our number one priority, and we will always take any safety concerns seriously."
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