Extra 5 Minutes wait at Stafford (5th Secember 2010)

[Simon Poole]

Finished work at 4pm today and headed to the train station, arrive at 4:13pm and got my ticket, got onto Platform 1, before my train arrived they announced that they will be an delay in the Bletchley area due to lindside epquipment.

At 1618 London Midland Desiro Class 350/2 350266 arrived into the Station with the 1618 to London Euston (Sundays are xx:18, weekdays and Saturday it's xx:21) once the train stopped, boarded the train, next minute they put an announcement that the train will be stopping at Stafford an extra five minutes for people to use the toliets! the Toliets on the train weren't working, while i was sitting down i could hear someone outside on the raido as they were communicating on how many people went to the toliet and when there was no one passengers, once that happened, the train doors closed and left 5 minutes late

 

[Dreadnought]

Finished work at 4pm today and headed to the train station, arrive at 4:13pm and got my ticket, got onto Platform 1, before my train arrived they announced that they will be an delay in the Bletchley area due to lindside epquipment.

At 1618 London Midland Desiro Class 350/2 350266 arrived into the Station with the 1618 to London Euston (Sundays are xx:18, weekdays and Saturday it's xx:21) once the train stopped, boarded the train, next minute they put an announcement that the train will be stopping at Stafford an extra five minutes for people to use the toliets! the Toliets on the train weren't working, while i was sitting down i could hear someone outside on the raido as they were communicating on how many people went to the toliet and when there was no one passengers, once that happened, the train doors closed and left 5 minutes late

Seems reasonable to me and a good idea to actually do this.

I was on a LM service yesterday (350127) working to Crewe which also had both toilets out of use, if you need to go and have a long journey then it can become very uncomfortable if you cannot relieve yourself. Fortunatley for me I only had 1 stop to go!

 

[mumrar]

Well, its rather a good idea to do this than have passengers urinate and excrete in their clothing.

Common practise across the railway network, although the different TOCs controllers have different attitudes to the problem.

At XC, if we have someone request a toilet stop as all on board facilities are out of order, then control tell us to inform the to use the station facilities at the next available location.........


.......and not to forget to take their luggage with them, as we aren't waiting and they can catch the next service in an hour!

This is from bitter experience on the 170 run to Cardiff. Its all very well them telling me that, but who's the idiot who has to face up to the passengers and say that? Certainly not them!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

At XC, if we have someone request a toilet stop as all on board facilities are out of order, then control tell us to inform the to use the station facilities at the next available location.........


.......and not to forget to take their luggage with them, as we aren't waiting and they can catch the next service in an hour!

This is from bitter experience . . . .

Ouch! Not a position anyone would want to be in!

I must say, though, that I would have thought that, of all the TOCs. XC probably have more timetabled slack to allow for contingencies, and a proper toilet break should be easily accomodated in those.
In all seriousness, if there was no functioning toilet in any long distance journey (whichever TOC was concerned), then I do feel that whatever the provision might be at occasional stations should be made available to all passengers. (There are enough stories about crew taking liberties which I won't post on here, but if it becomes necessary for arrangements to be made for crew welfare that are denied to passengers, then not only do I have an issue, but so would any Envoronmental Health Officer who might be made aware of the situation).

I do believe that TOCs must take more responsibility for the full and proper provision of hygenic, working and available toilet facilities (whether its subcontracted or not is immaterial) and that this basic provision for human welfare should take precedence over any penalties or inconvenience arising from delays.

 

[martinsh]

I had exactly the same happen to me at Stafford in the opposite direction a few months ago, on a Birmingham - Liverpool 350.

Nothing wrong with a Toilet break, but there was a lack of thinking on somebody's part in this case. Stafford is the ONLY stop on this service where the toilets are not on the same platform as the train. Everyone had to cross from platform 5 to 1 and back again. If they'd known about the problem they could have stopped at Wolverhampton, or carried on to Crewe (< 20 mins).

It does seem class 350 toilets are a problem. Provision of 2 in a 4 coach train should be enough. But I have to say they havwe always worked when I've come to use them - unlike on a Pendolino !

 

[Welshman]

Reminds me of the story - probably apocryphal, but good, none the less - of a severely-overloaded football excursion from Halifax to Bradford on the old GN line before it closed in the 1950s.
The engine was fairing so badly up the bank through Ovenden station, that some passengers managed to jump off, use the Gents on the platform, and get back on again as the train struggled through!

 

[317666]

Something similar happened to me at Stafford a while ago - except that instead of toilets, it was catering. The trolley was unavailable, so we waited at Stafford for people to use the Pumpkin cafe on the platform to get refreshments!

 

[Simon Poole]

Something similar happened to me at Stafford a while ago - except that instead of toilets, it was catering. The trolley was unavailable, so we waited at Stafford for people to use the Pumpkin cafe on the platform to get refreshments!

I know you can do that at Northampton while they couple two London Midland Class 350 Desiros together, one time they even put an announcement for passengers telling them there was no catering service and there's time to use the cafe due to am 5 to 10 minute wait

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I know you can do that at Northampton while they couple two London Midland Class 350 Desiros together . . .

[apologies for repeating this tip, which I've already posted on the 'Stations with Pubs & Buffets' thread]
You can do the same while trains split or join at Crianlarich.
Its the award winning "Crianlarich Station Tearoom"
But what's even better, especially in the cold / rain / darkness of bleak Scottish mooorland, is to phone ahead and order a proper hot meal which will be ready for you when the train arrives! Not only will it be delicious, but will make you the envy of everyone else on-board!
Recommended for smugness as well as for tastiness!