disastrous train journeys

[gary47]

Has anyone had any disastrous train journeys

 

[MidnightFlyer]

http://railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=50446 and http://railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53196

 

[gary47]

My first was in september 2001 I had booked advance tickets on the 0622 direct train from stafford to brockenhurst by virgin x country I got on the platform ready it was announced and shown on screens the train was about 5 mins late we set off then the announcer on the train said that this is the ammended service to plymouth and that all passengers for reading bournemouth etc are to change at new st where your train is stocking up I got on train at new street where we had to wait half an hour we set off and got caught straight away in the lights which happened a few times specially outside reading a bit later just after we left southampton parkway they suddenly announced they were terminating the train at southampton central and we were to change trains there which came straight away I was meant to be in brockenhurst just after half 9 and got there at 11 if I had known about claiming then o would have done

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Pretty much any journey involving East Midlands Trains has been pretty disastrous. Have had a number of days out ruined and been late meeting people, going to matches, weddings, funerals etc and consdiering how often I have used them they seem to be the most disaster prone company of all.

 

[yorksrob]

My first was in september 2001 I had booked advance tickets on the 0622 direct train from stafford to brockenhurst by virgin x country I got on the platform ready it was announced and shown on screens the train was about 5 mins late we set off then the announcer on the train said that this is the ammended service to plymouth and that all passengers for reading bournemouth etc are to change at new st where your train is stocking up I got on train at new street where we had to wait half an hour we set off and got caught straight away in the lights which happened a few times specially outside reading a bit later just after we left southampton parkway they suddenly announced they were terminating the train at southampton central and we were to change trains there which came straight away I was meant to be in brockenhurst just after half 9 and got there at 11 if I had known about claiming then o would have done

I used to travel a lot between Leeds and Reading at around that time. Every journey seemed to be a bit of an adventure

 

[gary47]

My next 1 was new years day 2006 I was booked on a virgin x country train from stafford to reading direct service which left on time about 1900 they announced where it was going, just before we got into oxford the tm checked my ticket and says there is a problem there he said this train is terminating at new st and he said there will be no virgin or central trains running. Anyway I got to new st and asked around and noone had a clue what was going on then I found out there was a replacement bus going as far as stafford I got into stafford just after 2300 when I was meant to be back at 2120ii got a complaints form off virgin and got my train fare back I found out after that virgin xc and central walked out on strike that night without warning I never knew anything about it before hand

 

[AlterEgo]

My next 1 was new years day 2006 I was booked on a virgin x country train from stafford to reading direct service which left on time about 1900 they announced where it was going, just before we got into oxford the tm checked my ticket and says there is a problem there he said this train is terminating at new st and he said there will be no virgin or central trains running. Anyway I got to new st and asked around and noone had a clue what was going on then I found out there was a replacement bus going as far as stafford I got into stafford just after 2300 when I was meant to be back at 2120ii got a complaints form off virgin and got my train fare back I found out after that virgin xc and central walked out on strike that night without warning I never knew anything about it before hand

Is punctuation rationed where you live?

My head hurts.

 

[SS4]

My next 1 was new years day 2006 I was booked on a virgin x country train from stafford to reading direct service which left on time about 1900 they announced where it was going, just before we got into oxford the tm checked my ticket and says there is a problem there he said this train is terminating at new st and he said there will be no virgin or central trains running. Anyway I got to new st and asked around and noone had a clue what was going on then I found out there was a replacement bus going as far as stafford I got into stafford just after 2300 when I was meant to be back at 2120ii got a complaints form off virgin and got my train fare back I found out after that virgin xc and central walked out on strike that night without warning I never knew anything about it before hand

You were going from Stafford to Reading and just before Oxford you were told the train was terminating in Birmingham?
That makes no sense unless you were going from Reading to Stafford...

 

[T8KE0FF]

I had a nightmare experience a few months ago, it had me shaken for quite a few days afterwards. Every Friday for about 3 months I would travel from Bromsgrove to Stoke-on-Trent to see my father who moved up from Redditch to Stoke (I now live in Stoke with him!) Anyway, this week my sister decided that she wanted to come with me to see dad. The first train was fine, just a 170 up to New St from Bromsgrove but it was packed as it usually is. Then we got to New Street, as you can imagine, it's always packed on a Friday evening but I got used to it.
Me and my sister boarded the 1731 to Manchester Picc, I have only been lucky enough to get a seat on this service once as it's always like sardines, so we had the pleasure of standing in the vestibule area.. Everything was fine, it was packed, but we were sitting on our suitcases playing games on our iPads. We left Wolverhampton a few minutes late and the train seemed to get even busier.
About 5 minutes after we departed Wovlerhampton, a 40 year old drunk bold man wearing a black leather jacket stumbled into the vestibule where we and many others, were standing. In his left hand was a 'Lilt' bottle, however it was obviously Vodka or something. He shouted to everyone as soon as he stumbled in "HAS ANYONE GOT A BLOODY MAP OF ENGLAND!?" we all looked around, and the a man standing in front of the Cross Country route map moved away from it so he could see it. My sister, who was 12 at the time (I am 15) looked at me and I knew what she was thinking.. At this time, the drunken man was shouting at the top of his voice "WANKERS, BLOODY WANKERS" he then looked at me and shouted in my face "****ER".. Lovely.. "I NEED TO BE IN MILTON KEYNES, WHERE THE **** AM I!?" everyone looked around.. I politely said "We've just left Wolverhampton, just north of Birmingham" the charming man said "OH FOR **** SAKE, HOW DO I GET THERE THEN!?" at this point, he looked like he was going to punch me. "Umm, well I suggest you get off at the next stop, which is Stafford.. I'm pretty sure you can get to Milton Keynes from there". He then looked to the floor, and there were 2 half drunken Starbucks Frappuccino cups, he shouted at me "IS THAT YOU!?" "No?" "PICK IT UP, THROW IT IN THE BIN.. TOSSER". So, I put it in the bin for him.. My poor sister, who looked like she was about to burst into tears mimed to me "lets go" so we took our suitcases and went to another carriage.. We got off at Stoke and the man got off to (even though I suggested Stafford, but oh well!) and he was shouting abuse at the poor VT staff on the platform.
It's not the nicest thing for a 15 year old to go through, but that's the joys of public transport!

 

[33011]

I remember working at Southampton Central one day and there was a fatality at Micheldever.We could not divert trains on the Portsmouth direct due to a broken rail at Rowlands Castle. A lot of Passenger were advised to get the FGW 153 making it crambed full and standing to Salisbury and change there for Waterloo only for a Freightliner 57 to fail between Romsey and Salisbury. I took some passengers about 9 hours to get to Waterloo. Didn't affect me as i was working but never the less it was a journey from hell for some lucky people.

 

[ACE1888]

Went to London in 2009 to see AC/DC at the o2 Arena, had it all planned to catch the Sleeper back from Paddington, with a good half an hour to spare.
Due to London Transport completely 'ballsing up' the after show service, we missed the last train back, luckily while standing around at Paddington, friends we went to the Gig with, were going back to Reading and gave us a roof over our heads for the night, next day it cost us nearly £150 to get back home:roll:
You live and learn as they say...Amazing Gig though

 

[Crossover]

You were going from Stafford to Reading and just before Oxford you were told the train was terminating in Birmingham?
That makes no sense unless you were going from Reading to Stafford...

I was thinking the same but on reading further, it seems like the poster was doing the return journey. Too much thought put in for a Sunday :P

 

[HST Power]

I had a nightmare experience a few months ago, it had me shaken for quite a few days afterwards. Every Friday for about 3 months I would travel from Bromsgrove to Stoke-on-Trent to see my father who moved up from Redditch to Stoke (I now live in Stoke with him!) Anyway, this week my sister decided that she wanted to come with me to see dad. The first train was fine, just a 170 up to New St from Bromsgrove but it was packed as it usually is. Then we got to New Street, as you can imagine, it's always packed on a Friday evening but I got used to it.
Me and my sister boarded the 1731 to Manchester Picc, I have only been lucky enough to get a seat on this service once as it's always like sardines, so we had the pleasure of standing in the vestibule area.. Everything was fine, it was packed, but we were sitting on our suitcases playing games on our iPads. We left Wolverhampton a few minutes late and the train seemed to get even busier.
About 5 minutes after we departed Wovlerhampton, a 40 year old drunk bold man wearing a black leather jacket stumbled into the vestibule where we and many others, were standing. In his left hand was a 'Lilt' bottle, however it was obviously Vodka or something. He shouted to everyone as soon as he stumbled in "HAS ANYONE GOT A BLOODY MAP OF ENGLAND!?" we all looked around, and the a man standing in front of the Cross Country route map moved away from it so he could see it. My sister, who was 12 at the time (I am 15) looked at me and I knew what she was thinking.. At this time, the drunken man was shouting at the top of his voice "WANKERS, BLOODY WANKERS" he then looked at me and shouted in my face "****ER".. Lovely.. "I NEED TO BE IN MILTON KEYNES, WHERE THE **** AM I!?" everyone looked around.. I politely said "We've just left Wolverhampton, just north of Birmingham" the charming man said "OH FOR **** SAKE, HOW DO I GET THERE THEN!?" at this point, he looked like he was going to punch me. "Umm, well I suggest you get off at the next stop, which is Stafford.. I'm pretty sure you can get to Milton Keynes from there". He then looked to the floor, and there were 2 half drunken Starbucks Frappuccino cups, he shouted at me "IS THAT YOU!?" "No?" "PICK IT UP, THROW IT IN THE BIN.. TOSSER". So, I put it in the bin for him.. My poor sister, who looked like she was about to burst into tears mimed to me "lets go" so we took our suitcases and went to another carriage.. We got off at Stoke and the man got off to (even though I suggested Stafford, but oh well!) and he was shouting abuse at the poor VT staff on the platform.
It's not the nicest thing for a 15 year old to go through, but that's the joys of public transport!

That really is a disastrous trip! What an idiot. Though I must say, I thought you handled the situation very well.

 

[SS4]

Went to London in 2009 to see AC/DC at the o2 Arena, had it all planned to catch the Sleeper back from Paddington, with a good half an hour to spare.
Due to London Transport completely 'ballsing up' the after show service, we missed the last train back, luckily while standing around at Paddington, friends we went to the Gig with, were going back to Reading and gave us a roof over our heads for the night, next day it cost us nearly £150 to get back home:roll:
You live and learn as they say...Amazing Gig though

Damn right (although I saw them at Wembley)


Not quite a rail issue but I did once have to spend the night in St Pancras after seeing iron maiden at Twickenham (the coach to Birmingham was nowhere to be found). I think everyone fell asleep on the first chiltern service the next day!

 

[shaun]

Three and a half hours on a late running voyager from Newton Abbot to Birmingham New Street, i'd booked a FGW HST as far as Taunton but missed it and had to take the direct voyager behind it instead. Horrible journey, it was just very noisy and cramped despite there being no standing passengers.

Happened again the year after, travelling from Newcastle to Birmingham. Booked a EC HST as far as Doncaster to be on the safe side which was great, but then expected a XC HST to turn up to take me to Brum (diagram was booked HST). Didn't happen, a Voyager turned up instead.

They don't sound like much, but they were just exceptionally bad journeys. I've had rides on voyagers where i haven't minded them too much (usually short ones), but these particular journeys irritated me. I would've preferred a class 158 which isn't even an Intercity train!

 

[gary47]

My mistake sorry meant to be reading to stafford. The girl that was going to stoke if that happens again with a drunk either find the train manager or get someone to find him or her and if he is real bad they will throw him off train at next station and call the police you will have a lot of people who will back you up.

 

[callum112233]

I was speaking to someone who swore that Northern Rail are the most unreliable operator, he claimed that there has been times where the train has failed to stop at Marsden on the Manc-Huddersfield route. Even if this is true, I still think virgin are the most unreliable operator.

 

[gary47]

Another was definitely stafford to reading this time a fortnight after the last incident I couldn't get a straight through train because of industrial action by virgin who were terminating all north and south xc services at birmingham plus also engineering works. They found me a ticket where I change at new st and cheltenham. I got my train to new st no prob and set off from new st to cheltenham on time just before we got to cheltenham the train came to a halt for.about 15 mins. I was getting worried about getting my connection to reading. I got off train at cheltenham and asked a guard if my train had gone and he said it had and that was what held my other train up. There was no other train to reading for 2 hours they told me to go to gloucester I went there and they told me to go to bristol where I did get a train to reading where I arrived 2 and a half hours later than I should have done it wasn't virgins fault I sent a complaint form off and got my money back

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Please use some of these: ,;.

 

[150222]

Can you please use punctuation!

 

[S N Barnes]

Access issues (after a split following wife assaulting me!) means 8 hours non residential on Saturdays every 2 weeks - so its 2 nights accommodation or 750 miles driving and a hired car, or truncated times with rail trip. Amazingly 04.26 GLC can deliver in time for LEI if it runs in early at BHM or XC connection runs late and this can happen. But shutters drop with 18.04 going back - or did.

Before I fully worked out the trip I spent 8 hours on PRE (new lifts are warmer than benches on platform), and similar long waits going back. Around 6 weeks ago I went to catch the 18.44 in DBY and it was showing as NCL. Checking with the staff on the station they suggested a 13 hour wait at DBY or similar at NCL for GLC/GLQ. I headed for NCL thinking that I might at least find something going North. However on arrival the board at NCL had EDB = Bus showing about to depart, and I just about scraped on to it, happily then aware that the 01.30 Citylink service would get me back to GLC/GLQ. East Coast were not particularly good in the customer service department here (I think they were sponsors of the coach services, although it was Arriva TGM). Driver not briefed on where to set down in Edinburgh, and when we did arrive on Waverley bridge no staff to receive coach & passengers. Fortunately Lothian Buses <praise> has staff who can offer information on night bus connections vice the long departed train ones, and I headed for Citylink (currently hiding at a new place NOT in St Andrews Square) along with passenger for PIK. Praise here for Parks of Hamilton driver, who was genned up enough to advise that X77 departure connected with us in Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station.

Following trip - well rehearsed and same coach driver NCL-EDB. This time coach bay was blocked by East Lothian licensed taxi who refused to move - despite forest of no waiting cones. The stopping service coach had great problems getting to point where driver could set down because of this A*** and lack of CEC enforcement.

Now this week - I missed the 18.04 but en route discovered the 23.10 megabus for just £11 NCL-EDB - a great connection for the RDG-NCL that arrives at 22.34 (XC take note). I made the booking on the train as we passed Tyne Yard. Frustratingly taxis were again a pain as this delayed the 23.10 departure and made me miss the possibility of an early arrival (for 01.30 Citylink) by 10 minutes, and an 80 minute wait for 03.00. As on the previous trip we had a well oiled individual on his phone desperately urging his friends to hurry up - but we still left on time. And amazingly - but not officially recognised (Again) there was an X77 boarding for Ayr and Kilmarnock.

Want to fill seats on your late trains & coaches and deliver a Saturday evening service - well how about joining up the transport for a start.

Train operators could make massive savings, improve stock utilisation, and save taxi and coach procurement when problems arise - especially on the GLC-EDB route, where yield management sees on-line fares as low as £1.80 single MTH-EDB and a bargain XC only walk-up return GLC-EDB

 

[33056]

Just checking through my records for something else and this little shambles from April 2002 came to light……..

The day started off fine by getting 87027 to Nuneaton for a 150 across to Nottingham then 47488 on the 09:32 Nottingham to St. Pancras.

A hop across London to Paddington saw me board an HST to Bristol but we didn’t get very far before being brought to a dead stand at Acton whilst a long stone train trundled out of the yard in front of us. A turbo which had followed us out of Paddington was then stopped on the Down Main whilst we were crossed over in front; I blame the ARS (automatic route setting) at Slough IECC for that little gem!

After alighting at Reading, I went back to Paddington with 47828 on the 0914 from Manchester to see what would produce on the 1418 Paddington to Glasgow which was often a reasonable bet for something interesting at that time. Not today however, it was 47805 which I took anyway intending to swap at Oxford to 47750 which I had got some gen earlier that it was working to Bournemouth.

Everything went swimmingly until just outside Oxford where we stopped, and waited, and waited…. before an announcement was made that trains were being held due to a fire alarm going off at Oxford. Just before we got moving, 47750 shot past on the up so that was that little move out of the window.

Plan B was quickly formulated when I worked out that I could get to Rugby to have 86401 on the 1620 Euston to Manchester, so I stayed with 47805 to Coventry where I hopped off to get a 321 to Rugby which should have taken around 14 minutes.

Not today it didn’t - total time taken was 46 minutes due to a bridge bash at Brandon; so, with 86401 long since gone north, I called it quits and stayed on the unit to head back home.

Looking back on it now, it wasn’t a bad day out really but it obviously p***ed me off at the time judging by the comments in my notes :roll:

 

[Prodigy]

I guess on a journey from Edinburgh to Mossley. I stupidly booked a table seat thinking it would be better for someone with long legs. Well I was wrong, had to keep my legs in the same position all journey as I didn't wanna discomfort the girl sitting across from me. Let me say the Pacer from Stalybridge to Mossley was a much more comfortable journey, but the walk home wasn't!; my legs nearly fell off.

 

[Robinson]

Compared to some of those who have already commented, it seems I've done pretty well so far!
By far the worst incident that has happened to me must be the one that happened in the snowfall of 2009/10. I was travelling from Helensburgh to Hamilton Central en route to Strathaven; sadly I never made it. The train from Helensburgh was stopped at Anniesland; I reached Glasgow by bus but it was chaos at Central, no one had any idea of what was going when. Eventually I had to admit defeat as I was going to arrive too late for my needs, and headed back to Helensburgh with a refund.

 

[AlterEgo]

I was speaking to someone who swore that Northern Rail are the most unreliable operator, he claimed that there has been times where the train has failed to stop at Marsden on the Manc-Huddersfield route. Even if this is true, I still think virgin are the most unreliable operator.

*sigh*

Drivel.

East Coast have the poorest punctuality record at the moment. I do feel for them as they've been hit with some really awful luck recently, the lineside fires caused by a steam loco (of all things!) probably one of the more bizarre.

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/742.aspx

 

[callum112233]

I could'nt comment on east coast as I have never travelled on any of their trains. I suppose people will have their own opinions on who is the least puntual based on their own experiences as opposed to official facts and figures.

 

[AlterEgo]

I suppose people will have their own opinions on who is the least puntual based on their own experiences as opposed to official facts and figures.

You can't have an opinion on what the least punctual TOC is, as it is a fact that, at the moment, it is East Coast. You couldn't possibly have an opinion on whether the Earth is bigger than the Moon, as that is also a fact.

You can, however, have an opinion on what is your favourite/least favourite TOC!

 

[gnolife]

You can't have an opinion on what the least punctual TOC is, as it is a fact that, at the moment, it is East Coast. You couldn't possibly have an opinion on whether the Earth is bigger than the Moon, as that is also a fact.

You can, however, have an opinion on what is your favourite/least favourite TOC!

I personally think that you can have an opinion on what the most punctual TOC is, as you can base it on your own personal experiences on the railway. I personally would say EMT is the least punctual based on my experiences (which is largely the Liverpool/Manchester end of the Liverpool-Nottingham/Norwich runs for them)

 

[AlterEgo]

I personally think that you can have an opinion on what the most punctual TOC is, as you can base it on your own personal experiences on the railway. I personally would say EMT is the least punctual based on my experiences (which is largely the Liverpool/Manchester end of the Liverpool-Nottingham/Norwich runs for them)

You may think EMT are the least punctual TOC, but you'd be entirely wrong, as there are statistics which deem they are not.

So I can hold the opinion that Fulham are top of the Premier League right now?

Piffle.

 

[callum112233]

I suppose people will have their own opinions on who is the least puntual based on their own experiences as opposed to official facts and figures.

Like I said.
Ask someone who has been screwed over by Merseyrail for example. Who is the most unreliable TOC? It's likely that they will tell you 'Merseyrail'