Station locked up. Staff not shown.

[185]

Not just TPE leaving Stalybridge locked up..... Northern are having the same problem at Rochdale.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...ation-with-one-passenger-stranded-on-platform

More than 30 commuters were stranded outside Rochdale train station this morning – with one passenger trapped on the platform.

Workers were late after shutters at the station entrance and on the platform were not opened at the scheduled time of 5.50am, despite train services running as normal.

One passenger, who got off his train to get to work in Rochdale for 6am, could not leave the platform and had to wait for over an hour to be released.

Some opted to get a bus in an attempt to get to work in Manchester on time, while others paid out more than £25 for taxis.

A member of staff from Northern Rail arrived at the station to open the shutters at 7.10am.

Joselyn Rankin, a spokeswoman for Northern Rail, said: “Rochdale station opens at 5.50am every weekday morning. This morning the station did not open until 7.10am due to a member of staff having taken ill. We would like to apologise to anyone who was inconvenienced by this.”

Bit naughty, as this was raised with safety bodies specifically about Rochdale, and HMRI some years ago issued a strongly worded letter about having a better system in place to prevent it happening.

I have memories of an identical incident at Rochdale with Northern Spirit - I was working a train that had to slam on hard in fog to avoid an elderly passenger who'd climbed up the embankment and was struggling across the rails with a shopping trolley. First North Western were responsible for that near miss in 2001.

 

[wintonian]

Well maybe someone needs to send them a reminder of previous communiques?

 

[12CSVT]

Either stations like these should have a means of public access at all times including when the station is unstaffed, or there should be night shift staff who can lock up / unlock the station when necessary. To rely on early shift staff to open the station (with no contingency if that person goes sick) is not a satisfactory arrangement.

 

[wintonian]

If necessary they could contract a security company to lock up and unlock around the first and last trains.

 

[Pumbaa]

Well couldn't they just have taken the tram instead? Oh, wait...

 

[34D]

Either stations like these should have a means of public access at all times including when the station is unstaffed, or there should be night shift staff who can lock up / unlock the station when necessary. To rely on early shift staff to open the station (with no contingency if that person goes sick) is not a satisfactory arrangement.

I guess there was no side gate or anything? Very very strange indeed.

 

[radamfi]

I've been locked out of Rochdale. There were others waiting and they said it had happened several times before. Someone got in the station by climbing on top of the phone box then onto the Leeds bound track.

 

[Monty]

Is there any particular reason Rochdale station is locked up in the evening? A lot of the stations down in the Southern Region are left open all night, in fact I think the only days the stations are locked up completely is Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

 

[radamfi]

Is there any particular reason Rochdale station is locked up in the evening?

The stairs lead up directly into the station building and you then have to go through doors to get to the platforms.

 

[Monty]

The stairs lead up directly into the station building and you then have to go through doors to get to the platforms.

Thanks, it hadn't occurred to me that the station may not have a night exit!

 

[Roverman]

Not just TPE leaving Stalybridge locked up..... Northern are having the same problem at Rochdale.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...ation-with-one-passenger-stranded-on-platform


Bit naughty, as this was raised with safety bodies specifically about Rochdale, and HMRI some years ago issued a strongly worded letter about having a better system in place to prevent it happening.

I have memories of an identical incident at Rochdale with Northern Spirit - I was working a train that had to slam on hard in fog to avoid an elderly passenger who'd climbed up the embankment and was struggling across the rails with a shopping trolley. First North Western were responsible for that near miss in 2001.

Are there any legal implications here? Is it not a crime to hold people against their will??

 

[northwichcat]

Well couldn't they just have taken the tram instead? Oh, wait...

Even if the tram line had opened the proposed Rochdale-Manchester service will be a lot slower than the train services at present so it might have still been quicker for some passengers to wait than to travel by tram.

 

[starrymarkb]

I've been locked in Exeter Central one morning when I was commuting on the early morning train (5:55 from Exmouth IIRC) as the Staff member who was on duty that morning overslept - Some pax climbed the fence by the former night gate . I just waited a few mins for the train to return from St Davids and was given a free ride to St James Park and walked to work from there.

 

[reb0118]

Are there any legal implications here? Is it not a crime to hold people against their will??

Er......no!

There would have to be a deliberate act. That is not to say there may be some recourse at law for compensation for the inconvenience.

 

[Roverman]

Seeing as Northern as one of the most prolific at issuing penalties even for those whose who do not deliberately break the rules it would seem fair then for affected customers to issue Northern with a bill.

 

[SWTCommuter]

A similar incident at Bath a few years ago

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2522895.stm

 

[trentside]

And at Streatham Hill early last year;
http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9515624.Commuters_trapped_in_station_after_lock_in/r/

 

[northwichcat]

Seeing as Northern as one of the most prolific at issuing penalties even for those whose who do not deliberately break the rules it would seem fair then for affected customers to issue Northern with a bill.

Yes they should do.

Lost wages/time at £x per hour
Inconvenience £y (variable depending on circumstances)
Admin charge £25

Although I imagine they'll actually issue the standard Northern complimentary ticket.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

And at Streatham Hill early last year;
http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9515624.Commuters_trapped_in_station_after_lock_in/r/

That's actually locking up before the last train has gone opposed to not opening in time for the first train, which in my opinion is even less excusable. If the staff member phones in sick or gets delayed in the morning then there may not be much the managing operator can do. The same excuse can't be used for locking up 15 minutes before the last train has left.

The same thing happened at Nelson: http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/...le-locked-in-nelson-railway-station-1-2740377

In that case it was apparently because Northern Rail (the train operator) had not told Lancashire United (the interchange operator) that the last train had been delayed, with at the end of the day no staff are present at the interchange and Lancashire United send someone to lock up.

 

[Roverman]

The same thing happened at Nelson: http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/...le-locked-in-nelson-railway-station-1-2740377

In that case it was apparently because Northern Rail (the train operator) had not told Lancashire United (the interchange operator) that the last train had been delayed, with at the end of the day no staff are present at the interchange and Lancashire United send someone to lock up.

Thats a poor excuse IMO. Could the Lancs United person not see on the screen(s) that the train was delayed and made a 'phone call to his/her boss for advice?

 

[northwichcat]

Thats a poor excuse IMO. Could the Lancs United person not see on the screen(s) that the train was delayed and made a 'phone call to his/her boss for advice?

AFAIK Nelson, like most Northern managed stations, has no screens. Even some of the ones that do show delayed trains as being 'on time' and then it disappears from the screens after the scheduled departure time.

My understanding from what was reported is the process in the event of a delay to the last train was for Northern Rail control to phone Lancashire United but the phone call never happened despite the train being delayed.

 

[Wolfie]

Are there any legal implications here? Is it not a crime to hold people against their will??

It is perilously close to, if not in reality, unlawful arrest...and I would imagine that the TOC could easily have a financial liability if anyone lost money from work (ie due to arriving late) as a result. I am sure some ambulance chaser will give it a go........

 

[Goatboy]

It is perilously close to, if not in reality, unlawful arrest...

No, it really isn't. It's nothing like 'unlawful arrest'.

 

[island]

There seems to be a lot of overreactions here. It was a mistake. Mistakes happen.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

There seems to be a lot of overreactions here. It was a mistake. Mistakes happen.

I was thinking that

Staff member ill

miscommunication leads to station opening late

Hardly crime of the century!

 

[michael769]

I was thinking that

Staff member ill

miscommunication leads to station opening late

Hardly crime of the century!

Not a crime perhaps but it is a serious management failure which resulted in a member of the public being trapped in the station without any adequate provisions for fire escape - which has potential safety implications that will almost certainly not have been subject to a risk assessment. At the very least Northern now need to carry out a proper risk assessment at this station, and ideally make appropriate changes to line management to ensure that members of the public are not exposed to this risk again. At the very least steps could be put in place for a manager to verify the station is open and instruct trains not to stop if he cannot confirm that this is the case.

The fact that passengers have been locked into closed stations in the past demonstrates that this is a known (and thus foreseeable risk) and Northern's failure to properly asses and manage this risk might well expose it to criminal liability should a passenger be harmed in such circumstances.

 

[tsr]

In this situation, if a member of staff is not able to attend soon, would any through train which is safely able to stop be ordered to do so? That way, the railway would have passengers in a safer and controlled environment as soon as possible. Obviously, the inconvenience to the passengers would be as great or greater, but the TOC may be able to provided a staffed facility for passenger use somewhat sooner!

 

[AlterEgo]

There seems to be a lot of overreactions here. It was a mistake. Mistakes happen.

Ever the voice of reason.

It's a pretty galling mistake to have happen - but it is just that - a mistake, nothing more, and nothing less.

Naturally I do hope the affected customers are compensated properly for the inconvenience.

 

[fusionblue]

Wouldn't it make sense for each station to contact control (or the appropriate signaller) to advise the station is now open?

Therefore, if no call is received at the start of first train (as would be the case in this scenario) the driver is informed and can skip the station.

I'm not sure how simple that would be in practice, however..

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Ever the voice of reason.

It's a pretty galling mistake to have happen - but it is just that - a mistake, nothing more, and nothing less.

Naturally I do hope the affected customers are compensated properly for the inconvenience.

Of course they should be compensated and it was a silly lack of communication but it does happen (rarely though)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Wouldn't it make sense for each station to contact control (or the appropriate signaller) to advise the station is now open?

Therefore, if no call is received at the start of first train (as would be the case in this scenario) the driver is informed and can skip the station.

I'm not sure how simple that would be in practice, however..

normally when a station opens or book on they contact a central station that the TOC will use for recording book ons and offs etc.

 

[sheff1]

Wouldn't it make sense for each station to contact control (or the appropriate signaller) to advise the station is now open?

Therefore, if no call is received at the start of first train (as would be the case in this scenario) the driver is informed and can skip the station.

I'm not sure how simple that would be in practice, however..

The vast majority of stations cannot be fully locked - they have a 'night' entrance/exit. The policy you describe could possibly be considered at the stations, such as Rochdale, which are fully locked but it might be better to introduce 'night' entrance/exits at these as well.

An emergency exit openable from the inside would prevent people being trapped on the station but would not solve the issue of intending passengers being locked out.