Northern services longer than 4 cars

[northwichcat]

The last time we did this rangers(or was it celtic?) were playing at old Trafford, can't remember who but some clock broke the city centre big screen and the
Fans kicked off when mr fix it man turned up! As Manchester city centre hotels were full a lot of the crazy scots stayed overnight in Preston and blackpool. To shift the crowds at the end a 4 car 170 shuttled between Piccadilly and airport while a 9 car followed by a further 6 car ran from picc to Bolton and Preston. These trains were short planned specials and not timetabled. The 9 car left occy road rammed and people were left behind and there was a lot of kicking off on the train and on the station too. The 6 car was pretty full when that left. I was working a York overnight service and had unusually 6 on but was pretty quiet in comparison.

Northern, on that night, cancelled some services because so many people had crammed on to 2 and 4 car Pacers and the guards refused to let them go without passengers first alighting, which they didn't.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

I don't blame them for not wanting to work the trains. Rumour mill that night suggested drivers were being pulled out of their cabs and set upon because people couldn't get on the trains and that units were being trashed. Wether there's any truth in the rumours I cannot say.

 

[northwichcat]

I don't blame them for not wanting to work the trains. Rumour mill that night suggested drivers were being pulled out of their cabs and set upon because people couldn't get on the trains and that units were being trashed. Wether there's any truth in the rumours I cannot say.

There was one report that a driver was being held on the train (a Pacer) by passengers after the train was cancelled and had to leave via the window. According to passenger reports they never heard an announcement indicating that the train had been cancelled and the driver simply couldn't open the door because the train was so full and the door opened outwards.

I seem to recall that the station was evacuated due to a fire alarm being activated and the last Northern trains were due to depart 90-120 minutes late so I imagine a lot of the crews would have been stressed out even if they had been given a train with just one sleepy passenger on board it to work.

A few guards, the following morning, joked about the Northern train they were working not having been trashed and the fact that it looks in such bad condition is normal.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

That is certainly more credible than the rumour mill!!!! But hey, you know what the railway is like for gossip!