Passengers ending up on a train to the depot?

[Clansman]

Has there ever been an incident where a passenger has accidently stayed on a train and ended up at a depot? I was on the Glasgow Subway yesterday and someone had thought the train was going to Ibrox but in actual it fact turned off just before the station and ended up in the depot. Surely can't be the only incident?

 

[ComUtoR]

Many times. As well as passengers boarding an ECS service.

 

[radamfi]

So what happens when a passenger ends up in the depot?

 

[Ibex]

Has there ever been an incident where a passenger has accidently stayed on a train and ended up at a depot? I was on the Glasgow Subway yesterday and someone had thought the train was going to Ibrox but in actual fact turned off just before the station and ended up in the depot. Surely can't be the only incident?

Yes, it's not particularly uncommon at the TOC I work for. Normally they'll be escorted off site and given a taxi back to the station depending on which depot it is. I've also read of occasions where overcarried passengers have travelled back to the station in the taxi waiting to take the driver back.

 

[ExRes]

So what happens when a passenger ends up in the depot?

Should be penalty fared

 

[PHILIPE]

Has happened quite often in the past at Cardiff Canton when somebody has fallen asleep and nobody has observed them still in the train. The checks have been tightened up, I think, now.

 

[radamfi]

Should be penalty fared

What's twice the single fare to the depot?

 

[Haywain]

Has there ever been an incident where a passenger has accidently stayed on a train and ended up at a depot? I was on the Glasgow Subway yesterday and someone had thought the train was going to Ibrox but in actual it fact turned off just before the station and ended up in the depot. Surely can't be the only incident?

They got some very rare track in the book! I hope they appreciated it.

 

[Polarbear]

It used to happen a lot back in the day.

I recall one tail of a class 40 basher boarding a Holyhead - Crewe boat train relief in the early 1980's & falling asleep en route. He woke up to find himself in the carriage sidings at the south end of Crewe station so got up & marched through the depot, using the footpaths provided to get up to the station - much to the bemusement of the rail staff clocking on that what was probably a very early hour!

To be fair, staff are normally pretty diligent at checking trains at the end of their roster to ensure that everyone has vacated, but i'm sure you still get the odd one ducking between the seats for whatever reason.

 

[sprinterguy]

In my experience, it seems to be a more common occurrence for commuter operators that inter-city ones.

 

[CC 72100]

Certainly happens from time to time. Not just going into depots either, in my experience it's more likely that they end up on an ECS move between two stations, or even one which goes station 1 - siding - station 1

Not just passengers either - has happened to staff who have no need to be on the ECS before as well. (IE. Catering)

 

[87015]

Not just passengers either - has happened to staff who have no need to be on the ECS before as well. (IE. Catering)

There'd never be a competition on who could overcarry the most cleaners. No, definately never seen that scoreboard.

 

[FGW_DID]

So what happens when a passenger ends up in the depot?

A) Pax in possession of a valid ticket and just overslept / drunk etc, will be escorted to the gate and the station will arrange for a taxi to collect.

B) Not in possession of a valid ticket to travel, will be escorted to the front gate to make their own way or depending on the situation to be met by BTP!

 

[northwichcat]

What's twice the single fare to the depot?

I'm guessing all non-driving staff members who travel on ECS moves pay £0, so 2 x £0 = £0.

Although if someone had a ticket like Glossop to London and finished up at Longsight then surely they haven't gone off-route to get to the depot.

 

[LowLevel]

It happens and it generally results in tea without biscuits for the guard/dispatcher. Very much frowned upon.

 

[Jonfun]

Not just passengers either - has happened to staff who have no need to be on the ECS before as well. (IE. Catering)

Generally speaking though if catering staff are still on empties it'll be intentional rather than accidental (eg booked back out on the same unit and messroom's a trek/cold/full of boring folk/non existant at said location, want extra time to get set up, set's going somewhere else and they need to stay with the set etc etc) although I've no doubt at some point in history someone's accidentally ended up on shed through being too slow/getting on the wrong portion of a double set/misreading their docket etc.

 

[Clarence Yard]

A minibus worth of sleeper passengers had to be specially ferried from OOC to Padd once when I was working at the Oak. They were not amused. Punters at Padd diving onto ECS HSTs or LHCS at the last minute, thinking it was a passenger train, used to appear at the Oak too. They were put on the half hourly Train Crew workabus and if the experience of arriving at the Oak wasn't traumatic enough, a hair raising ride down Westway in the Sherpa with Sidesaddle or his mates at the wheel would certainly press the point home!

Punters occasionally used to turn up at Ferme Park when I was on the GN too.
Late users of the train lavvy sometimes also used to get caught out when EMU stock was on short turn round and they had to be escorted from HX EMU to the station.

It's not as common now as it used to be!

 

[gordonthemoron]

1979, last train from Hartlepool to Newcastle, I fell asleep and wound up in Heaton Depot, was let out by the cleaners

 

[Nym]

There'd never be a competition on who could overcarry the most cleaners. No, definately never seen that scoreboard.

Nope never, don't ever keep an eye out for cleaners travelling between Brixton and Stockwell

 

[sprinterguy]

It happens and it generally results in tea without biscuits for the guard/dispatcher. Very much frowned upon.

While still reported and looked into, passengers overcarried has always been presented as comparatively minor in the hierarchy of operational incidents where I've worked.

 

[Geeves]

Ive sent a couple to Newton Heath in the past, one was lay on the floor (sozzled) of a darkened train this was after being told by the guard it was clear, oops! Hey ho.

I just went and had my own walk through after that! Just a please explain in your locker waiting in the morning.

 

[Deepgreen]

Has there ever been an incident where a passenger has accidently stayed on a train and ended up at a depot? I was on the Glasgow Subway yesterday and someone had thought the train was going to Ibrox but in actual it fact turned off just before the station and ended up in the depot. Surely can't be the only incident?

It is not that unusual on LU for passengers to be over-carried into sidings for reversal, but much rarer to get to a depot. It is often the case that the train has been checked and then someone hurtles down/up the stairs and leaps on believing it to be in service and are not spotted by the platform staff in the split second they may have been visible. Reversals in sidings are usually very short duration and the passenger(s) will be brought out again into service on the train.

 

[steamybrian]

Many years ago a work colleague travelled on (what was then ) the last train from Victoria to Brighton at midnight after having (a few??) beers in London. He fell asleep and was woken up by train cleaners in Lovers Walk Depot. Luckily he lived in Brighton so did not have far to stagger home. Afterwards when he told me I was a bit jealous because I have not done Brighton to Lovers Walk so it is still a bit of track to do (albeit only a short distance)
I have known someone who fell as asleep on a Charing Cross to Hastings service and woke up in St. Leonards West Marina Depot.

 

[craigybagel]

While still reported and looked into, passengers overcarried has always been presented as comparatively minor in the hierarchy of operational incidents where I've worked.

It depends - I've known a despatcher get fired for it, after CCTV proved he'd not bothered walking through the train at all as per his duties.

Has happened quite often in the past at Cardiff Canton when somebody has fallen asleep and nobody has observed them still in the train. The checks have been tightened up, I think, now.

Indeed, a new procedure has been implemented that should make it a much less frequent occurrence.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They got some very rare track in the book! I hope they appreciated it.

Do they still do visits to the depot on the Glasgow subway? I've done official visits three times, last time about 15 years ago though, and each time the means of getting me to the depot was to board a particular train with an inspector and stay on it when it goes out of service and into the depot.

 

[PHILIPE]

Anybody being conveyed to a Depot is a passenger because as they haven't paid for the journey they are not customers. Oh, as an aside, Caledonian refer to them as "Guests".

 

[dk1]

Happened dozens of times at Crown Point & that's just what I've witnessed or taken back to the station in the car (accompanied of course). If they where friendly & polite we didn't mind, if they where obnoxious or rude then they would be escorted to the gate & told to run along, chop-chop.

 

[Kristofferson]

Recently happened to a friend of a friend (ECS after last train) - lucky thing got to go through the train wash!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Indeed, a new procedure has been implemented that should make it a much less frequent occurrence.

I often see the guards walking through early morning (approx. 07:00) arrivals / terminations at Cardiff Central checking everything, which is good.

Many years ago, I was with a friend at London Welsh RFC in Richmond. He left before me to catch his tube to North London (I can't remember where, now).

When I saw him a few weeks later, I asked him if he'd got home okay and he said .... "Err, well, no." When I asked him why, he said that he'd fallen asleep on the tube and ended up in the depot, somewhere in East London!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Happened once at Hull where a 142 went to Botanic Gardens depot from the station. I turned to the guard who had got off and said "I don't want to really cause a fuss, but you do know there are two women still on that train knitting?"