Passengers locked inside Hartlepool station

[pokemonsuper9]

I guess part of the problem is that because the train terminated at Hartlepool, it wouldn't be shown on any departure boards as delayed. So it wouldn't be obvious that there is a train still to arrive.

Are there not platform level boards at Hartlepool that would say something like "Arrival from Newcastle" and state how late it is like with trains arriving at Wigan Wallgate?

 

[Anvil1984]

Pretty sure the staff that man the barriers and so on are agency staff in Northern uniform, the normal ones I encounter there seem pretty sensible, maybe it was somebody covering, but even so if what has been reported actually happened (people were locked into a closed station and the lights turned off even before that late running train arrived), there's no excuse whatsoever.

Neither the barrier staff nor ticket office staff are there from first train to last train. The station is open and closed by sub-contracted security staff

 

[Rab Smith]

Neither the barrier staff nor ticket office staff are there from first train to last train. The station is open and closed by sub-contracted security staff

Maybe this will cool the ridiculously wild accusations that have been posted in this thread.

 

[harz99]

Neither the barrier staff nor ticket office staff are there from first train to last train. The station is open and closed by sub-contracted security staff

Okay, I know the ticket office staff aren't there at those times, but didn't know the barrier staff aren't. I must admit I'm usually half asleep on the rare occasions when I get a train earlier than 0700, and whatever time the last Grand Central to Sunderland manages to arrive I'm focussed on getting out quickly for a bus or taxi to get home rather than the staff presence or lack of.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Dec 2025 ==

Maybe this will cool the ridiculously wild accusations that have been posted in this thread.

Maybe, but it still doesn't alter the issue that, if the reported story is correct people were knowingly locked into an unlit station, and that was before the late running train even arrived.

 

[Djgr]

Pretty sure the staff that man the barriers and so on are agency staff in Northern uniform, the normal ones I encounter there seem pretty sensible, maybe it was somebody covering, but even so if what has been reported actually happened (people were locked into a closed station and the lights turned off even before that late running train arrived), there's no excuse whatsoever.

Just a reminder that if you choose to outsource your operations you don't outsource your responsibilty.

 

[chrisjo]

people were knowingly locked into an unlit station

Again referring to the original account from the person on facebook that started all this, we see that at some point while they were milling about in the locked up station 'it was even worse when the lights went out'. Perhaps they were on a timer?

 

[Cell2025]

I guess part of the problem is that because the train terminated at Hartlepool, it wouldn't be shown on any departure boards as delayed. So it wouldn't be obvious that there is a train still to arrive.

Except that two family members of one of the passengers told the agency staff, allegedly, that there was a train arriving, and still required them to leave while he locked up.

Passengers trapped inside railway station after midnight when guard locked up early

Passengers were left stranded in the station for 45 minutes after their train arrived late into the station.

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

"Claire also told the Echo how two of her children had walked their dog to the station so she would not have to walk home alone in the dark, but claims they were kicked out of the station by the guard.

“They had been sitting in the station, and he kicked them out," she said.

"When they saw the man locking the doors they said, ‘how is my mum going to get out?’. He didn’t reply, so they repeated the question and got no response again."

Claire said she understands the guard may somethimes (sic) get abuse from teenagers, given the nature of his job, but added: “There should have been a bit of doubt in his mind, and he should have checked there wasn’t a train running late, and it wasn’t just kids pulling his leg.

"But he didn’t, and for whatever reason, he locked up and left.”

Something sits wrong with me about this, though it's probably shoddy 'journalism' rather than anything else.

One of the first questions I'd ask is if the family members said that there was a train arriving, why they leave the platform so apparently readily and watch the security guard just lock up? I know I'd have had a lot to say if that was happening at approaching midnight to one of my family members. Two 'refusals to respond' doesn't quite ring true to me.

And wouldn't the family members have called their mum to advise once they saw that the station was shut?

 

[fandroid]

More quotes in the Northern Echo from the passenger whose children were waiting for her:

Despite the inconvenience, she was full of praise for the driver and conductor of the train.

She said: “It’s 00.15am at this point. The train driver and conductor were amazing. They didn’t complain and they stayed with us until they knew we were all out of the station until the guy turned up. They were so lovely, I can’t thank them enough.”

And here's the link to the article https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/n...ssengers-locked-hartlepool-station/?ref=cprfa

 

[dk1]

Yes, I'm sure if you went to Tesco, finished your shopping and were then locked in the store for half an hour you'd meekly accept it as just one of those things.

I’d see the funny side of it.

 

[Horizon22]

The worst kind of buck passing

They did at least apologise, and highlight the cause. Likely the contractor will get a bit of a earful and the staff member in question won't be on the contract any more.

The naming of the roles in the article is a little confusing, referring to "the guard" which is actually this agency contractor, whilst "the conductor" is the actual train guard.

 

[TUC]

Just a reminder that if you choose to outsource your operations you don't outsource your responsibilty.

Absolutely right.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Dec 2025 ==

I guess part of the problem is that because the train terminated at Hartlepool, it wouldn't be shown on any departure boards as delayed. So it wouldn't be obvious that there is a train still to arrive.

Surely there is an expectation on staff, including agency staff, to be more alert to when final trains are than what happens to be on departure boards?

 

[Ballyheigue]

I expect the contractor was a York City FC fan exercising his moral duty, aka revenge for the trouble caused by Hartlewho fans lol.

 

[sheff1]

According to a local newspaper Northern has stated it was a third party contractor, and they didn't check when the last train was:

Operator Northern has apologised and said the error was due to a security guard from a third-party contractor who locked up without checking the last train had arrived.

That can't be true as we have been assured that:

Right, let's get some reality to this thread. Staff don't just 'walk off' without any care or attention.

 

[Rab Smith]

I can assure you that employed staff at a TOC would not just walk off the job unless they were seriously contemplating a short career.

There are procedures in place to close stations. This shambles has now been laid at the door of a third party outsourced agent. As someone said earlier, outsourcing does not deny responsibility but goes a long way to explain it.

This is why the RMT is actively condemning outsourcing. It is an easy way for a company to try and absolve blame while turning a blind eye to low wages, poor working conditions and a two tier railway.

It would probably have never happened if the correct staffing at a station this size were in place.

Outsourcing is a flawed practice that needs stopped.

 

[nanstallon]

Agency staff are a disaster. They have no idea of customer service, and in my experience are unsuited to any work that involved dealing with people. I suppose they are cheaper than proper railway staff, and that is all that matters these days.

 

[GordonT]

Is it not the case that there are stations in the UK of lowlier status than Hartlepool where the aggrieved parties being "kicked out" could have resorted to flagging up their plight on a station help point? Or are they primarily for stations which are entirely unstaffed or staffed on a very limited basis?

 

[TUC]

It is surely not difficult for Northern to include in their sub-contracting arrangements a provision that in the event of last trains being delayed, the staff member must remain until it has arrived and passengers have left the station.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Dec 2025 ==

Outsourcing is a flawed practice that needs stopped.

No, it just needs well designed contracts that are enforced.

 

[bramling]

It is surely not difficult for Northern to include in their sub-contracting arrangements a provision that in the event of last trains being delayed, the staff member must remain until it has arrived and passengers have left the station.

This is the trouble with late at night, there’s always going to be the problem of what happens with last trains. You’d normally get round this by rostering a night turn, which avoids the problem.

 

[Russel]

I think you mean 'condemn'?

That's the word I was after, mind went blank when posting!

 

[TUC]

This is the trouble with late at night, there’s always going to be the problem of what happens with last trains. You’d normally get round this by rostering a night turn, which avoids the problem.

Do you mean for a full night? That would seem a very expensive way of dealing with the eventuality of last trains sometimes being late. Just a contractual requirement to wait for the last train, with an agreement that the extra time will be paid, is surely sufficient.

 

[leezer3]

I can assure you that employed staff at a TOC would not just walk off the job unless they were seriously contemplating a short career. There are procedures in place to close stations. This shambles has now been laid at the door of a third party outsourced agent. As someone said earlier, outsourcing does not deny responsibility but goes a long way to explain it. This is why the RMT is actively condemning outsourcing. It is an easy way for a company to try and absolve blame while turning a blind eye to low wages, poor working conditions and a two tier railway.
It would probably have never happened if the correct staffing at a station this size were in place.
Outsourcing is a flawed practice that needs stopped.

Please don't start turning this into a pro union rant, its embarrassing....

Similar things have absolutely happened with directly employed staff.
I'm certain the person on the ground won't have been the only one in the decision chain either.

At the end of the day, its the railway as a whole which has messed up here.

 

[GordonT]

At the end of the day, its the railway as a whole which has messed up here.

Indeed. Compounded by Northern's craven response in trying to shrug off the event as entirely a security company failing albeit leaving the words "and nothing to do with us" to be inferred rather than articulated.

 

[Djgr]

Indeed. Compounded by Northern's craven response in trying to shrug off the event as entirely a security company failing albeit leaving the words "and nothing to do with us" to be inferred rather than articulated.

Incarcerating the people who pay your wages should be a "never ever" event.

 

[bramling]

Indeed. Compounded by Northern's craven response in trying to shrug off the event as entirely a security company failing albeit leaving the words "and nothing to do with us" to be inferred rather than articulated.

Northern’s response is a typical “blame the cleaner” type thing.

One way or other, it’s their station and their train service, so it’s down to them.

That said, on an individual level *if* the story is as reported then it doesn’t seem like the person who locked the station conducted themselves in the most sensible way. One wonders if they did anything to try and resolve the situation they were apparently made aware of.

 

[cactustwirly]

I remember reading a thread from a few years ago which suggested fire exits get locked at the end of the day as well, I don't know if things have changed since then

Which would be illegal Fire Exits have to be clear and accessible.

If there was a fire, and all the exits were locked without a means of escaping, then Northern would be criminally prosecuted under the Fire Safety Order

 

[Benjwri]

Which would be illegal Fire Exits have to be clear and accessible.

If there was a fire, and all the exits were locked without a means of escaping, then Northern would be criminally prosecuted under the Fire Safety Order

It is in general legal to lock a fire exit when a building is not in use. Provided it was unlocked when the station is open there may not be anything wrong with this.

 

[Turtle]

Please don't start turning this into a pro union rant, its embarrassing....

Similar things have absolutely happened with directly employed staff.
I'm certain the person on the ground won't have been the only one in the decision chain either.

At the end of the day, its the railway as a whole which has messed up here.

Measured objection to casualisation is hardly a rant, pro union or otherwise.

 

[cactustwirly]

It is in general legal to lock a fire exit when a building is not in use. Provided it was unlocked when the station is open there may not be anything wrong with this.

Well it was clearly still in use

It would be legal if the station building was locked but there were alternative routes. Or some sort of emergency release etc

 

[Benjwri]

Well it was clearly still in use

It would be legal if the station building was locked but there were alternative routes. Or some sort of emergency release etc

In this case yes, but I was referring to the general procedure of locking fire exits when the station is closed.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I don't think Hartlepool has staff in the evening, contracted or otherwise. So one presumes that the security guard will just be given a set of keys and a list of premises he or she has to lock up at a certain time. They'll turn up when they're told to turn up and lock up when they're told to lock up.

It's happened countless times with directly employed staff doing the same thing in the same situation, so it has nothing to do with outsourcing. It's unlikely to be a case of "walking off the job" either, their job will be to turn up at x time and lock the door. If nobody tells them otherwise (and where was Northern's control in all of this?), that is precisely what they will do.