My train just sailed through East Croydon!

[modernrail]

I am on the Worthing to London Victoria train and it just sailed through East Croydon! It was the 12.00 from West Worthing.

That has never happened to me before. How could that happen? Are the signals not set to stop that?

 

[modernrail]

Apparently it was due to a ‘technical error’!

 

[voyagerdude220]

Are the signals not set to stop that?

No, the Signals would very likely be on a proceed aspect (yellow/double yellow or green) if there wasn't anything in front of your train.

The Driver will have a print out of their train's scheduled calling points for the section they're working it.

Why the train didn't call could be for many reasons, for example as simple as the Driver forgetting to stop (I'd guess this is even more likely to happen where the Station involved doesn't have every train ran by that particularly company calling at it).

 

[modernrail]

I am very surprised a driver has forgotten to stop at East Croydon. The only service that doesn’t stop is the Gatwick Express.

It went through at speed as well. Perhaps he did think he was driving the Gatwick Express.

Plenty of annoyed passengers. Can’t be a common occurrence surely.

 

[6Gman]

I am very surprised a driver has forgotten to stop at East Croydon. The only service that doesn’t stop is the Gatwick Express.

It went through at speed as well. Perhaps he did think he was driving the Gatwick Express.

Plenty of annoyed passengers. Can’t be a common occurrence surely.

It happens.

I've been on at least two trains where it happened.

 

[AlterEgo]

I am on the Worthing to London Victoria train and it just sailed through East Croydon! It was the 12.00 from West Worthing.

That has never happened to me before. How could that happen? Are the signals not set to stop that?

Station stops are not usually signalled.

 

[hboogie]

Never had that happen to me and this was a service I used to use daily.
Bet the driver sunk into his seat at the next station

 

[davews]

It happened to me many years ago on the North Downs line where the train shot through Crowthorne and we ended up at Sandhurst. Humble apologies from the guard, no doubt the driver forgot he was on the stopping service... Fortunately there was a Crowthorne train a few minutes later on the other platform otherwise it might have been an hour wait.

 

[The exile]

The only times it’s happened to me have been at Durham and Chippenham.

I suspect the Durham one was planned as a way of clawing back time, as the announcement as to what passengers should do came suspiciously soon after the “non stop”.

Chippenham was much more spectacular massive brake application from line speed (the stink!), a few moments awkward silence and then an ignominious reversal for about half a mile back into the station!

I’ve also been on a train that stopped rather more abruptly than intended at Milngavie a couple of yards further than a train had been for a very long time, - but that’s a different story.

 

[pdeaves]

Station stops are not usually signalled.

Yes. Signalling tells whether it is _safe_ to continue, not whether you _should_ continue.

 

[sh24]

Overshot Sherborne behind a Class 50, due to driver error. Much kerfuffle to reset the level crossing and allow us to set back.

 

[adc82140]

I've been on trains that have done that twice. Overshot Wimbledon once in the early 90s on the only train of the day from Basingstoke that was scheduled to stop there. It was a quick hop over the bridge at Clapham Junction to get back to Wimbledon, ended up only about 15 mins late.

Overshot Twyford in the early days of the first stop Twyford HSTs, and ended up at Reading. slightly longer to get back from that one.

But to err is human. Didn't even consider writing to Network Southeast or First Great Western. I'm sure the drivers concerned felt crappy enough as it was without a whingeing commuter like me writing to customer services.

 

[Horizon22]

Unless it was an adhesion related 'fail to stop' - although the OP's report of "sailed through" doesn't sound like it - not stopping at East Croydon is definitely one of the weirder ones I've heard!

I'm pretty sure GatEx drivers solely drive that and don't interchange with Southern, so that wouldn't explain it either.

 

[Port Road]

I've been on trains that have done that twice. Overshot Wimbledon once in the early 90s on the only train of the day from Basingstoke that was scheduled to stop there. It was a quick hop over the bridge at Clapham Junction to get back to Wimbledon, ended up only about 15 mins late.

Overshot Twyford in the early days of the first stop Twyford HSTs, and ended up at Reading. slightly longer to get back from that one.

But to err is human. Didn't even consider writing to Network Southeast or First Great Western. I'm sure the drivers concerned felt crappy enough as it was without a whingeing commuter like me writing to customer services.

"..it was a quick hop over the bridge at Clapham Junction to get back to Wimbledon, ended up only about 15 mins late."

Nowadays you'd be worried that the crooks could issue a penalty fare. (When did penalty fares become a thing? I'm not aware).

 

[rmHawk765]

RTT does indeed say this train was scheduled to stop but passed through, becoming 2E as a result.(https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Y28921/2025-11-04/detailed)

 

[inais20]

How serious is this kind of thing for the driver? Just a bit of a telling off or something more formal? Hopefully not the latter as everyone makes mistakes!

 

[norbitonflyer]

I seem to recall this happened at Sandwell & Dudley once. Very embarrassing as it was the first train ever scheduled to call there, and all the local bigwigs were there to welcome it.

 

[Surreytraveller]

I'm pretty sure GatEx drivers solely drive that and don't interchange with Southern, so that wouldn't explain it either.

Gatwick Express drivers drive Southern trains as well and have done for years

 

[Horizon22]

How serious is this kind of thing for the driver? Just a bit of a telling off or something more formal? Hopefully not the latter as everyone makes mistakes!

Would very much dependent on the circumstances (reasoning) given by the driver, the driver’s overall safety record, any mitigating circumstances etc.

 

[saismee]

Would very much dependent on the circumstances (reasoning) given by the driver, the driver’s overall safety record, any mitigating circumstances etc.

I seem to recall this happened at Sandwell & Dudley once. Very embarrassing as it was the first train ever scheduled to call there, and all the local bigwigs were there to welcome it.

I imagine this would be one of the more forgivable situations, depending on how the service was introduced.

 

[MotCO]

I've been waiting on the platform at St Margarets (nr Twickenham) going to New Malden and the Waterloo - Kingston - Waterloo failed to stop. Just had to wait half an hour for the next.

Also I've been expecting to get off a train at Chelsfield, only for the train to sail straight through to Sevenoaks. They then arranged taxis to get us back to Chelsfield. Why they didn't get a London bound train at Sevenoaks to stop at Chelsfield I don't know - it would have been quicker and cheaper all round.

 

[50018]

I imagine this would be one of the more forgivable situations, depending on how the service was introduced.

A similar fate befall the first stopping train at Cwmbran.