http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/display.var.1460891.0.400_children_stranded_at_station.php
400 children stranded at station
By Ellie Simmonds
Rail staff have been praised for helping more than 400 children left stranded in Oxford for almost nine hours.
The children, including some with special needs, were on their way home to Birmingham after a trip to Bath when their train's brakes failed near Oxford Station on its return journey on Saturday evening.
The youngsters were left on board for three-and-a-half hours without any water while engineers tried to repair the fault.
They were eventually let off after teachers protested at the delay, but had to be helped down from the train on to the tracks in the dark and led through the streets from near the Royal Mail depot, off Oxpens, to Oxford Station at 11pm.
Pc Bob Burrowes, of British Transport Police, said First Great Western offered to organise buses back to Birmingham but Riviera Trains, a private company carrying out the charter with train company EWS, said it would sort out transport home.
However, the promised number of buses did not arrive and those that did were late.
The children had to bed down on the floor at the now closed Oxford Station, overseen by station staff who had finished their shifts but remained to look after them along with officers from British Transport and Thames Valley forces.
Pc Burrowes said because not enough buses came, 40 of the 11 and 12-year-olds, along with some adults, were still at Oxford at about 3.30am. First Great Western staff then called taxis for the remaining stranded children, who left at about 4am.
Pc Burrowes said: "These children were on the train for three-and-a-half hours without water and hot air pumping in to the carriage.
"Getting children off a train in the dark and not at a station is no easy business.
"They were led Pied Piper style, a stream of 400 to 500 children, through the streets of Oxford late at night through the revellers.
"At the station FGW staff got them water but there was no food because the station had closed.
"There were 11 schools in total and some had pupils with ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) with no medication.
"It was an utter nightmare.
"Some of these children had a night on the floor at Oxford station, which they coped with remarkably well."
"Staff at Oxford Rail Station and First Great Western sorted out water for the children and offered to assist in organising a way home.
"Those working at Oxford worked incredibly professionally, many without pay.
"In relation to the management and organisation from the private operator we do not have a comment to make at this stage but we will be taking it further with the company concerned."
A First Great Western spokesman said four staff at Oxford Station stayed on after their shift while two others were called out to look after the children.
He said: "They did not want to see the kids stranded."
400 children stranded at station
By Ellie Simmonds
Rail staff have been praised for helping more than 400 children left stranded in Oxford for almost nine hours.
The children, including some with special needs, were on their way home to Birmingham after a trip to Bath when their train's brakes failed near Oxford Station on its return journey on Saturday evening.
The youngsters were left on board for three-and-a-half hours without any water while engineers tried to repair the fault.
They were eventually let off after teachers protested at the delay, but had to be helped down from the train on to the tracks in the dark and led through the streets from near the Royal Mail depot, off Oxpens, to Oxford Station at 11pm.
Pc Bob Burrowes, of British Transport Police, said First Great Western offered to organise buses back to Birmingham but Riviera Trains, a private company carrying out the charter with train company EWS, said it would sort out transport home.
However, the promised number of buses did not arrive and those that did were late.
The children had to bed down on the floor at the now closed Oxford Station, overseen by station staff who had finished their shifts but remained to look after them along with officers from British Transport and Thames Valley forces.
Pc Burrowes said because not enough buses came, 40 of the 11 and 12-year-olds, along with some adults, were still at Oxford at about 3.30am. First Great Western staff then called taxis for the remaining stranded children, who left at about 4am.
Pc Burrowes said: "These children were on the train for three-and-a-half hours without water and hot air pumping in to the carriage.
"Getting children off a train in the dark and not at a station is no easy business.
"They were led Pied Piper style, a stream of 400 to 500 children, through the streets of Oxford late at night through the revellers.
"At the station FGW staff got them water but there was no food because the station had closed.
"There were 11 schools in total and some had pupils with ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) with no medication.
"It was an utter nightmare.
"Some of these children had a night on the floor at Oxford station, which they coped with remarkably well."
"Staff at Oxford Rail Station and First Great Western sorted out water for the children and offered to assist in organising a way home.
"Those working at Oxford worked incredibly professionally, many without pay.
"In relation to the management and organisation from the private operator we do not have a comment to make at this stage but we will be taking it further with the company concerned."
A First Great Western spokesman said four staff at Oxford Station stayed on after their shift while two others were called out to look after the children.
He said: "They did not want to see the kids stranded."
