Ridiculous Train Travel Mistakes

[bnm]

I got on a train from Bristol Temple of Doom to Cardiff once. Settled back, took out book. Looked out the window 15 minutes later - "What the hell am I doing in Bath?" Made it out the door just as the hustle alarm was going!

What hope the 'normals' when even the staff occasionally fupp up?

 

[causton]

My friend has taken a train from Stevenage southbound that thought stopped at Potters Bar, but was fast to Finsbury Park... then took the next train northbound, which was to Letchworth (they thought "Oh! Potters Bar is between Finsbury Park and Letchworth!") but of course the train went up the Hertford loop. Then they had to get another train down again to Potters Bar from Stevenage, making sure they didn't make the same mistake again! :P

There's also the time my dad fell asleep leaving Finsbury Park on an FCC stopping service and woke up around the Harringay area, which he thought was fine... until he realised he was going southbound! So he went back into Kings Cross and then back out again on the same train all-stations back to Hatfield, this time thankfully staying awake

 

[317666]

I managed to get confused at Monument once whilst waiting for an Eastbound District line train. There was a sign with a leftward arrow saying "Eastbound", and little did I know it was pointing at the footbridge, OVER to the eastbound platform, and that the train I was running for was a Wimbledon service

I realised my mistake after a few seconds - "The next station is Mansion House". Not a massive problem, just got a train going back, but I was a bit disappointed with myself to say the least

 

[Oliver]

Yesterday my wife was at Wakefield to get a train to Exeter. Things were running a bit late and she managed to get on a train to Kings Cross. The conductor checked her ticket and said nothing(!) and it wasn't until she was at Stevenage that she realised she was on the wrong train. (In the intervening time I had rung her twice and asked her where she was (Sheffield?, Derby?) and she'd said she didn't know.)

She had trouble getting through the barrier at KX, the ticket office couldn't offer much help, so she went over to Paddington. She had more trouble getting on to the platform there, and finally spoke to the (lady) driver of the FGW HST, who was most helpful, rang the conductor on the intercom and the two of them sorted her out. When I picked her up at St Davids I bit my tongue and didn't ask her how she could possibly mistake an IC225 for a Voyager........

 

[Eagle]

The conductor checked her ticket and said nothing(!)

That's worrying; surely he'd realise she was on the wrong train especially if they were beyond Doncaster. Tickets for that route seem to be endorsed "XC only" so he had no excuse (I'm guessing it wasn't an "any permitted" as those are valid via London and the barriers at KX and Padd would have been fine with the ticket).

 

[YorkshireBear]

Yesterday my wife was at Wakefield to get a train to Exeter. Things were running a bit late and she managed to get on a train to Kings Cross. The conductor checked her ticket and said nothing(!) and it wasn't until she was at Stevenage that she realised she was on the wrong train. (In the intervening time I had rung her twice and asked her where she was (Sheffield?, Derby?) and she'd said she didn't know.)

She had trouble getting through the barrier at KX, the ticket office couldn't offer much help, so she went over to Paddington. She had more trouble getting on to the platform there, and finally spoke to the (lady) driver of the FGW HST, who was most helpful, rang the conductor on the intercom and the two of them sorted her out. When I picked her up at St Davids I bit my tongue and didn't ask her how she could possibly mistake an IC225 for a Voyager........

She was lucky, and i must admit i have to do that with my girlfriend shes relatively good she remebers 142's by fact they look like they have hats
I now give her a mini pep talk before telling her what colour train will be and what stops to look out for.

my mates girlfriend was going from sheffield to worksop yesterday and manadged to northern express to leeds! she got away with it too...

 

[STKKK46]

The fallen asleep into New Street train reminded me of another near miss. Last year I was a regular traveller to Bristol, as I was seeing someone down there. With the travel pass I had, I had no problems travelling when I wanted, in First Class. I got the 1930 train no problems but was really struggling to stay awake. So I set 3 or 4 alarms and dozed off. I woke up literally 1 minute before departure time and in my dazed state noticed I was at New Street. That was a dash to get my bags together and get off. Made it by a matter of seconds. No way was I getting back from Tamworth to Dorridge that night... even if it was possible I doubt I'd have stayed awake so a very very lucky escape.

 

[Techniquest]

Bristol Temple of Doom

Now that is awesome! Keep laughing when I imagine it said in an announcement or it being on a running-in board. Genius stuff, I'll just have to avoid using it when I next need to buy a return to Bristol

 

[stanley T]

Coming back from Macclesfield train stops in Stoke. Woman gets on with two young kids, one in a buggy. I hear a bit of a commotion by the door, she's just realised she's not on the Manchester train... next stop Euston.

The VT staff were very good and looked after her and the kids, sat them down in first because that was the only place with spare seats (which was why, bizarrely, I was travelling advance first because it was cheaper than standard).

A mate at work travelling back from Fenchurch Street woke at 2 in the morning in the sidings at Shoeburyness, with one suspects the mother of all hangovers.

 

[Midlandman]

Back in the days before central locking and power doors, when REAL trains ran on the WCML (ok, the 1990s) I was on a Euston-Manchester express one evening. We stopped at Watford Junction and, just after the guard's whistle and just before we began to move, a man came out of the booking office. He looked at my train, ran across the platform, dived on board and collapsed in a seat at the rear of my coach. Somewhere around Hemel Hempstead, the conductor reached our coach. I heard a murmur of conversation with the Watford guy, followed by an anguished shout of 'NUNEATON?' That was the point at which the conductor had told him where the nxt stop was.
The conductor sold him a Cheap Day Return (or whatever the cheapest option was) from Watford to Nuneaton. Another technology in its infancy at that time was mobile phones. (You always seemed to need to talk loudly). For the next hour our journey was enlivened by him trying to get a consistent signal so he coulld explain what had happened to his girlfriend, who was waiting for him. At Harrow. I still can't imagine how he confused a DC line EMU (which, from his phone calls, it seemed he used regularly) with an 11-coach express with INTERCITY emblazoned all over it.

 

[Lampshade]

The only one I can think of was before Christmas. I was at Piccadilly and was going shopping in Stockport so I bought the ticket and checked the departure board. I'm pretty fluent in services out of Piccadilly so I just glanced at the board and saw 'CrossCountry' next to one of the services heading to Stockport so I assumed it meant the 1707. It didn't, it was referring to the 1727, I boarded the 1707... first stop Macclesfield.

 

[Oliver]

That's worrying; surely he'd realise she was on the wrong train especially if they were beyond Doncaster. Tickets for that route seem to be endorsed "XC only" so he had no excuse (I'm guessing it wasn't an "any permitted" as those are valid via London and the barriers at KX and Padd would have been fine with the ticket).

Yes, her ticket was not valid via London. You can buy such tickets but generally the cheaper XC route will be fastest. The conductor should have spotted this, and my wife might well have wondered why Doncaster and Peterborough stops had been added to her journey, but I thought it best not to press the point.

 

[furryfeet]

how she could possibly mistake an IC225 for a Voyager........

Perhaps she just has good taste !
I know if I had the choice between those two trains, which one I would travel in...

 

[LE Greys]

The fallen asleep into New Street train reminded me of another near miss. Last year I was a regular traveller to Bristol, as I was seeing someone down there. With the travel pass I had, I had no problems travelling when I wanted, in First Class. I got the 1930 train no problems but was really struggling to stay awake. So I set 3 or 4 alarms and dozed off. I woke up literally 1 minute before departure time and in my dazed state noticed I was at New Street. That was a dash to get my bags together and get off. Made it by a matter of seconds. No way was I getting back from Tamworth to Dorridge that night... even if it was possible I doubt I'd have stayed awake so a very very lucky escape.

Which reminds me of the time when I was on the sleeper, and was almost caught brushing my teeth because the train caught up nearly half an hour between Perth and Aviemore. I grabbed my stuff and baled when half-dressed, then realised I'd forgotten my toothbrush, went back to grab it, and nearly ended up in Inverness with all my kit on the Aviemore platform.

 

[Ferret]

Stacey of this parish tells me she encountered a couple with Advance tickets to Par who thought that they were going to Paris!!!

 

[STKKK46]

Stacey of this parish tells me she encountered a couple with Advance tickets to Par who thought that they were going to Paris!!!

Two very very different places...

 

[philjo]

A friend recently at Kings Cross ran for a FCC service from Platform 0 which was the semi fast train.
Of course she got on the 365 in platform 1 just as the doors were closing - next stop Cambridge!


My grandfather once fell asleep - he should have changed at Hitchin so my Dad got a call late one evening asking for a lift from St Neots as the last southbound train back to Hitchin had already left!

 

[Deerfold]

I caught the train from Sowerby Bridge to Bradford for 7 years to get to school.

Coming back you had to be careful not to get the train to Blackpool or you'd end up in Hebden Bridge as it misses out Sowery Bridge and Mytholmroyd.

I only got the wrong train twice.

On consecutive days.

 

[Oliver]

Perhaps she just has good taste !
I know if I had the choice between those two trains, which one I would travel in...

Well quite, but it'll be a long time before an IC225 arrives at St Davids.

 

[185]

"Are we at Halewood yet mate?"

No, this is York. It's 1.30am. Your train was the back one at Lime St. And you've fell asleep.

*Mr. 185 walks away to have his 1 hour tea break.*

0230 1P03 York - Airport.....

"Hiya mate, err... how do I get to Halewood"

rofl

 

[Oliver]

I was at Stansted Airport on a train to Cambridge. A Spanish lady got on our train which was destination Liverpool Lime Street. She wanted to go to London Liverpool Street. An easy mistake-a-to-make-a!

 

[Flamingo]

A colleague tells the tale of a gent on a Friday late-night HST, who on being asked for a ticket didn't open his eyes, and just said "F... off, I don't do tickets. I'm going to Thatcham, it's the next stop, there is nothing you can do about it". My colleague replied "Good for you. This is the Cardiff train, the next stop is Chippenham - by the way, BTP are at Bath and Bristol", and walked off laughing!

The gent alighted of his own accord at Chippenham at about 1 am on a cold November night, next train back about 6 am!

 

[Crossover]

Saw one the other week at Stafford where some passengers were getting off the XC service to catch a service to Liverpool.

I got on at Stafford and saw the couple fumbling around. Train was a bit early so was stopped a minute or two...by the time they got their bags and got to the vestibule (where I was stood trying not to make it obvious how stupid I thought they had been) the doors were shut, the guard had given the tip and we were doing 20mph+ out of platform 5.

Cue an amount of jabbing at the door open button and a few "how do we get these doors open" comments. (Had they noticed the passcom levers, I dare say they would have pulled it as well!) Thankfully the guard came through very soon after, gave them a revised itenary and told them to tell the guard on the train from Stoke to Stafford that they had been overcarried (whether they would have ended up charged I don't know...wouldn't have wanted to suggest it to them though!)

Unluckily for them, in all their fumbling about, another poor lad who was waiting patiently behind them also ended up stuck on the train too.

If not to make things worse, we ended up stopped on the track just before Norton Bridge due to a track equipment failure and it was looking a bit touch and go as to whether they would make their return train in time. We got into Stoke with five minutes spare for them to swap platforms. I pointed them in the right direction but whether they got there I don't know!

 

[table38]

The ex managed to fall asleep on the last train home and miss Stalybridge, so on arriving at Huddersfield decided that as that was the next stop, he'd get a taxi back home, not realising he was 30 miles away and the wrong side of the pennines. The taxi driver dutifully delivered him to the street of the same name in Huddersfield. On realising that things didn't look quite right, he decided to walk back to the station and phone me (it was about 2am by now so I wasn't best pleased )

The next time he managed to sleep all the way to York. This time I declined his invitation to rescue him by car, so he got an Airport train back to Manchester and a taxi home from there.

My suggestion that next time he should lean against the doors so that he would fall out onto the platform if he fell asleep was not appreciated.

 

[12CSVT]

I was at Stansted Airport on a train to Cambridge. A Spanish lady got on our train which was destination Liverpool Lime Street. She wanted to go to London Liverpool Street. An easy mistake-a-to-make-a!

I suspect many people have made the same mistake at Norwich, especially as they often leave from adjacent platforms

 

[Scotty]

I remember at one time, they were re-doing the line between (at least) Sleaford and Skegness, so there were FREE rail-replacement coaches laid on.

One Sunday - actually my 18th birthday I think - I wanted to go meet some mates in Sleaford (from Boston), to watch a footy match and have a few beers. I had been out the night before, so obviously tired...

I managed to get on the one going to Skegness instead - and ended up spending an hour in Skeg (getting some chips) and travelling back, turning up well late for the match in the pub.

At least it didn't cost me any extra in tickets...

 

[BrummyBoy]

Not exactly a train travel mistake but could well have been. Was waiting at Birmingham New Street for my train to arrive (VT service to Scotland, was only going as far as Wigan) for a good 10minutes before realising it was in the platform all along, right infront of me, and nearly ready to depart.

]Again after a Villa matchQUOTE]

Good choice of team by the way.

 

[STKKK46]

Good choice of team by the way.

Villa fans did not choose. We were chosen

 

[martinsh]

Saw one the other week at Stafford where some passengers were getting off the XC service to catch a service to Liverpool....

Thankfully the guard came through very soon after, gave them a revised itenary and told them to tell the guard on the train from Stoke to Stafford that they had been overcarried
We got into Stoke with five minutes spare for them to swap platforms. I pointed them in the right direction but whether they got there I don't know!

If they wanted to go to Liverpool, why not tell them to catch the Crewe train at Stoke ? Surely that would be quicker ?

 

[YorkshireBear]

The ex managed to fall asleep on the last train home and miss Stalybridge, so on arriving at Huddersfield decided that as that was the next stop, he'd get a taxi back home, not realising he was 30 miles away and the wrong side of the pennines. The taxi driver dutifully delivered him to the street of the same name in Huddersfield. On realising that things didn't look quite right, he decided to walk back to the station and phone me (it was about 2am by now so I wasn't best pleased )

The next time he managed to sleep all the way to York. This time I declined his invitation to rescue him by car, so he got an Airport train back to Manchester and a taxi home from there.

My suggestion that next time he should lean against the doors so that he would fall out onto the platform if he fell asleep was not appreciated.

deserved it mind, only once fallen asleep on a train and luckily my friend was wiatin on platform and saw me asleep and frightened the s**t out of me. Girlfriend lives 20 seconds walk so ive never done that to her, sure it will happen one day though.