Some years ago a Birmingham to Hereford service known for regular late running would be terminate at Ledbury, dump the passengers there in all kinds of weather, and expect them to wait for the next train where the service was hourly and no guarantee that it would come. Ledbury station is a little remote and unstaffed in the evening but matters were eventually brought to a head. One particular night, the passenger collectively refused to alight and, with threats of the police being called, they still sat tight. Eventually the train had to proceed to Hereford and they never tried it again. I cannot, at the moment, re0collect if it was in LM or Central days.
From the Hereford Times, December 6, 2007, page 2: "Disgruntled passengers on a late-running Hereford train who were asked to take a non-existent bus service from Ledbury refused to budge – leaving its driver no other option but to complete the journey.
The trip didn’t start well for those on the 16.52 service from London Paddington when they found the train in darkness and it eventually set
off 20 minutes late.
So when First Great Western announced at Moreton-in-Marsh that the train was 35 minutes late and would terminate in Ledbury, a dozen or so remaining passengers decided to protest.
Dr Jeff Beatty, aged 65, had already arrived 45 minutes late for a meeting in the capital the same morning due to cancellations and had missed a connection earlier in the week due to delays.
He said: “I just snapped I’m afraid – but if it hadn’t been for the support of others on the train it would have come to nothing so there must have been a feeling there. There was a lady sitting next to me in the carriage and I asked her would she mind staying on until we could see the bus was there to take
us to Hereford and the vast majority of other people did the same.”
But with no sign of a bus at Ledbury, staff then said another train due at the station would be delayed if they refused to move.
Dr Beatty, from Whitney-on-Wye, said: “We were quite willing for our train to be shunted back on to the up-line to Paddington, but we were not prepared to alight while they did so. If, after the shunting process, another train
entered the station for Hereford, then – and only then – were we prepared to leave.”
But no train came and the bus showed no signs of arriving either, so after around 30 minutes, the train resumed its journey to Hereford, arriving more than an hour late at around 8.30pm. Dr Beatty added: “When First Great Western sells you a ticket the company is entering a contract to provide a service.”
First Great Western spokesperson Adrian Booth confirmed that no bus had been arranged for those alighting at Ledbury and did not know if the other train could have taken the Hereford-bound passengers as he did not know
where it was going. “I would like to apologise to any customers that were delayed by this service,” he added.
Dr Beatty and co’s revolt followed an almost identical journey for those travelling on one train back in October, 2005. Passengers on the 14.59 Birmingham to Hereford service were told the train would go no further than Ledbury but, after refusing to leave the carriages, got their journey back on track."
From the Hereford Times, November 3, 2005, front page: "PASSENGERS revolted when told that a late-running train to Hereford would go only as far as Ledbury – and got their journey back on track.
The rebels refused to leave the 14.59 from Birmingham New Street last Friday, sending a strong signal to rail bosses that fed-up travellers would not take being “dumped” at stations when delayed services stopped short.
Central Trains has apologised to those who made the stand and promised a number of actions to ensure its services are more reliable. A county transport watchdog saluted the unlikely alliance of mothers, students, day-trippers and commuters as doing more for rail’s cause in the county with their protest than hours of timetable talks.
Gerald Dawe, of Rail for Herefordshire, said that trouble on the county’s tracks was as bad as that on its roads but received a lot less attention. “Central is not the only operator stopping late trains short of Hereford and passengers are losing confidence.
We have had hundreds of similar complaints over the past three years,” said Mr Dawe.
He said that Herefordshire needed a dedicated rail officer to oversee – and fight for – service standards the way neighbouring counties did. Service operators are stopping late trains into Hereford at Worcester, Malvern or Ledbury to hit time targets
and avoid further delay, particularly over peak periods. Passengers who are put off the stopped trains have to wait for transport arranged by the operator or the next train if it is going the distance.
The 14.59 rebels stayed on board when asked to leave at Ledbury and together made it clear they were not going anywhere but Hereford. There were cheers the length of the train when the driver was given the go-ahead to finish the journey.
Almost all of the rebels had either been put off a service before or knew family and friends who were.
Pregnant and with a tired toddler in tow, Linsey Clark was a ready convert to the cause. “The train was already running late.
Stopping at Ledbury took things too far. We all just decided we weren’t getting off, ” she said.
Linsey’s mum Sharon said she had been put off a train at Worcester with several others – including two severely handicapped passengers and their carers – a week before. All had to wait for buses and cabs back. “They told us at Birmingham that
the train was late. People were soon saying it wouldn’t get to Hereford,” she said.
Central Trains told the
Hereford Times that the 14.59 was behind schedule that afternoon because a member of staff had been assaulted between Birmingham and Nottingham, where the service started. “As a result of the long delays affecting
this service, the decision was made to terminate it at Ledbury to make up time and avoid further delays for this and other services,” said company spokeswoman Rachel Webster. Such decisions were only ever taken 'in exceptional circumstanmces'."
