Passengers making mistakes

[HarleyDavidson]

A fairly frequent one is Gillingham (Dorset) & Gillingham (Kent) at Waterloo, usually recoverable either at Clapham or Woking.

 

[47403]

A sports presenter on BBC Radio Newcastle had a meeting in Manchester, he got on a train at Newcastle, expecting to change at York, only to find he'd boarded the Flying Scotsman and ended up in Kings Cross

 

[CC 72100]

A sports presenter on BBC Radio Newcastle had a meeting in Manchester, he got on a train at Newcastle, expecting to change at York, only to find he'd boarded the Flying Scotsman and ended up in Kings Cross

On the subject of BBC presenters, didn't Michael Portillo and his team get on the wrong train at York on one of the episodes of GBRJ?

 

[Parham Wood]

The classic one for overseas visitors to London - underground ticket Paddington to Oxford Circus and getting on the Paddington to Oxford train - first stop Reading. Have seen this myself.

Also many years ago a colleague had to go to Plymouth from Paddington but got the Fishguard boat train. Obviously a mistake but when he was still on it after the Cardiff stop one had to ask whether he was totally geographically unaware or skiving for the day (he was known to be work shy)! (He actual worked for BR so had an all region pass).

I once fell asleep as the brakes went on late one night for Swindon where I had to change for Chippenham. I had not been able to sleep on the Inverness to Kings X leg and did not want to sleep, although very tired on the one from Paddington for fear of overcarrying. Woke up at when just pulling out of Kemble. Fortunately there was a train back from Glocs around 1pm.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I once also narrowly avoided heading for Taunton from Bristol Temple Meads because the train standing under the indicator for Birmingham was actually one that was too long for the other end of the platform. I was able to jump off when they announced it but left my coat on the rack and had to pay £16 to Virgin XC to send it on.

Unfortunately that is down to the fact that the platforms at Temple Meads (3 and 4; 5 and 6; 7 and 8; 9 and 10; and 11 and 12) are all shared on the same face! I've seen some people wanting to head to Yate, Cam and Dursley and Gloucester, or even just Lawrence Hill or Stapleton Road, jump on the Manchester service; luckily they've always been able to get off at Parkway and head back (the return West Coast stopper is just ten minutes after the Manchester at Parkway). All of this is because the XC is on platform 6 locked OOU, yet the FGW stopper is booked to go from 5!

I've also seen one passenger, intending to go to Bridgwater, jump on the Cardiff train by mistake! He only realised he'd caught the wrong train when we'd left Newport, some thirty minutes (and four stops) out of Temple Meads!

 

[Kite159]

The weekday TPE 1420 Man Picc to Cleethorpes often departs from the same platform but in front of the 1430 ATW to Milford Haven. However invariably a load of people pile onto the ATW, and when the TM comes through loudly informing people that this is the South Wales service and are they sure they are on the right train, most of them stampede off again, often with a degree of panic! . Don't think any have missed their correct train yet, but one day...

They did today. At least 2 passengers were told they should have got on the train in front and bailed at Stockport.

Got to feel sorry for the person heading to Grimsby on an advance. That will probably cost him a fair amount.

There was a few first train only services this afternoon at Pic, no idea if that was normal.

 

[High Dyke]

Twice...of note.

Network Southeast Day (remember them? ) Nodded off on the last Kings Cross - Peterborough service passing Hitchin. Car parked at Huntingdon. Had to be saved by parent travelling from Grantham to pick me up and then continue on to fetch my car.

Going from Grantham - Newark Northgate for a meeting, but train was first stop Doncaster. Got back about an hour later... Luckily my boss saw the funny side.

 

[FQ]

On the subject of BBC presenters, didn't Michael Portillo and his team get on the wrong train at York on one of the episodes of GBRJ?

Yep, HST from Doncaster to York when he was meant to be going to Leeds.

He changed at York in the end for a 185.

 

[NSEFAN]

I saw a couple of elderly ladies get on the Sussex Slammer railtour at London Bridge. A few minutes before departure, they asked if they were on the train to Tonbridge. It's just as well they did ask otherwise they would have had a non-stop trip to the seaside!

 

[Kite159]

A few runners for the great south run boarding the Brighton FGW service this morning. Alighted at Havant so they could catch a service to Portsmouth.

Although in all fairness the train said it was heading to Inverness.

 

[PeterC]

Got on the wrong train twice in my life. Once was easily recoverable, the other we were going to meet up with friends on the other route later in the evening, I just ended up at their house 2 hours early and waited for SWMBO with the car.

I did get on the wrong bus once. I was changing buses at Aylesbury and saw one with route branding on the side just loading. Of course it wasn't running the route it was branded for and with an ENCTS pass I just touched in and sat down.

 

[Thomas6187]

The weekday TPE 1420 Man Picc to Cleethorpes often departs from the same platform but in front of the 1430 ATW to Milford Haven. Don't think any have missed their correct train yet, but one day...

Spend long enough at Piccadilly, you probably see 10-20 people miss trains at Piccadilly, that depart off the top of another.

 

[Kite159]

Passengers making the mistake in thinking that Gatwick Express was the quickest way to Victoria today...

...58 minutes later we arrived into Victoria (after going a roundabout way via Crystal Palace, Tulse Hill & Brixton to arrive into Victoria on the Southeastern side). The 10:50 departure was beaten to Victoria by 2 and a bit regular services departing up-to 15 minutes later (the 11:05 arrived at the same time).

---

I've got onto the wrong train before at Waterloo/Clapham Junction, when heading back to Basingstoke, first was a Pompey Direct Line train and the other was a Poole Express which skipped Basingstoke, both times I alighted at Woking to await the next service to Basingstoke

 

[infobleep]

The 'Gatwick Express' branded trains to and from Eastbourne, in the peak, that don't stop at Gatwick Airport caught a few people out. The 'Gatwick' part of the external branding was subsequently removed.

Did they get charged excess fares for going beyond Gatwick?

 

[infobleep]

At Victoria recently, a couple wanting to go to Orpington (platforms 3/4) ended up on a train to Dartford (platform 7). How on earth they missed (they had a bottle of wine with them...) the large departure boards, announcements, platform departure screens and on train information is beyond me. It wasn't as if they'd accidentally gone to a platform next door by mistake either.

In the end they launched a foul mouthed tirade of abuse at the gate line staff, because it was totally all their fault, and in the end BTP were called so they could spend a night with them

Perhaps they wanted to save on a nights hotel fees, assume they spent all night with the police.

 

[Busaholic]

1969, aged 21, been living in Amsterdam, decided I'd check Denmark out. Once a day train at about 8 a.m. to Copenhagen, overslept and missed it first day, second day boarded it with all my worldly goods in a kit bag. Four coach train, no announcements in English, and I don't speak Dutch or German. Fairly boring countryside combined with early start = snoozetime. I am awoken by a lot of shouting and the juddering of the train, as if uncoupling.Next thing I am being asked for my visa - I am on the Moscow part of the train, whose existence I had not been aware of! Train makes an unscheduled stop at Osnabruck, just before the German border with the east. Vast station with loads of timetable info, but all of it showing arrivals and not departures (i'd figured I'd have to go to Hamburg to get another train to Denmark). Stationmaster's office, guy with the most peaked and polished cap I've ever seen, sitting at desk: I decide to ask in English about a train to Hamburg, whereupon he erupts, throws himself up from his desk screaming and gesticulating at me, and I see he's only got one leg. Get myself out, manage to find another railway employee and establish next train to Hamburg in three hours. Walk few minutes into the town, first shop I see is a large bookshop, plastered all over the windows a book on the allied bombing of Osnabruck. Go straight back to station, find out where train is coming from so I can get the right platform(!) and wait. My only experience of wonderfully-efficient German railways and the train was 90 mins late!

 

[TheJRB]

I was at Reading once heading back to Basingstoke on a CrossCountry Bournemouth service. There was an Oxford train due on the platform that the CrossCountry train was going to depart from a few minutes before it. Last minute platform alteration for the Oxford train and on time, the Bournemouth train arrives and departs. One guy must have missed all the alteration announcements and thought it was next stop Oxford! The guard informed him that he would be taking an excursion via Basingstoke and that he'd have to take the next train back to Reading from there.

I've only boarded the wrong train once. It was at Victoria on a Sunday where both the Chatham and Tonbridge line services to Ramsgate were using the station. We leave Victoria and cue the announcement "The next station is Bromley South. Would customers please note this train will divide en-route at Faversham...". Whoops! Still nothing to worry about. Changed at Bromley and the train via Tonbridge was only about fifteen minutes behind!

 

[gord]

When I lived in Sunderland 10 years ago I used to just jump on a metro at Newcastle if there was one on the platform and then listen out if it was South Hylton or South Shields one as it went along making my change at Heworth or Pelaw if necessary. Not really a mistake but a move that had a 50/50 chance of being right, and a bit daft as Pelaw is a raw place to wait in the winter! Obviously most of the time, I'd be at the station in Newcastle before the train anyway.

When I lived in Lowestoft and would go back to Uni either in Bangor or Sunderland, I would see plenty of London Liverpool Street passengers on the Liverpool Lime Street train from Norwich! This is going back over 10 years as well...not sure if this still happens!

 

[edwin_m]

If I recall correctly the screens at Cambridge were changed to read "Lime Street Liverpool" to reduce confusion with "Liverpool Street".

 

[Hadders]

I wonder how many people get it wrong at Cambridge.

As well as trains to Liverpool Street and Liverpool Lime Street, there are trains to Kings Lynn and Kings Cross!

An 8 carriage train often arrives at Cambridge with the front 4 carriages going forward to Kings Lynn and the rear 4 returning to Kings Cross.

 

[CKiltie]

I remember a work colleague who used to commute from Fratton each day to Hove and one day she came in all in a fluster because she was late. I asked her what had happened and apparently she had got onto a late running London Victoria service at Fratton, thinking it was the Brighton service she normally travelled on and then started to read her book. She then ended up going all the way to Horsham on the Arun Valley Line before she realised that something was amiss, I think she only realised as the conductor was doing a ticket check, so she was told to stay on the train until Three Bridges and then get the next train down to Brighton, then Hove.

I asked how she had not noticed and she said that she was too engrossed in her book to realise, although she did point out she glanced out of the window and she thought Arundel Castle looked closer than it normally was which made me laugh a little. I did feel sorry for her though.

Craig

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

About 15 years ago I was doing IT consultancy. I was travelling to a client site and purchased a ticket to Cheltenham. On my way from home to central London (I was meeting a colleague at Liverpool Street) the thought struck me - Cheltenham...or Chelmsford?!

Ended up having to swallow the cost of that mistake (over £60) as I didn't know I could obtain a refund on the unused ticket.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Here's a couple that I've seen:

Quite a few years ago, I was in Penzance travelling back to St Ives via St Erth.

Two young ladies got on, one with luggage, and one without. It was obvious that the one without luggage wasn't travelling, but she sat down and talked to her friend. After a few minutes, the whistle blew, and the train began to move.

There were then scenes of panic from the non-traveller, who had realised that not only did she not have a ticket, but that she'd left her car unlocked in the Penzance station car park! She got off at St Erth, but I don't know what happened to her after then.


A couple of weeks ago, I was travelling from Swansea to Newport. The train had come from West Wales, and there were quite a few people on it who had to wait a while in Swansea.

One of these was a fairly youngish chap who was asleep. After we'd pulled out of Swansea, a mobile phone started to ring, then stopped, then started, then stopped ... and so on! We went through Neath, and the same thing kept happening.

I didn't know whose phone it was at first, but it soon became obvious that it belonged to the chap who was asleep. Several people tried to wake him, but with no success. The phone kept ringing, and we passed Port Talbot. I had a go myself, again with no success .... and buy now we're past Bridgend.

Finally, the train staff managed to wake him, and asked where he was going. His very garbled reply (he'd obviously had more than several sherberts before getting to Swansea!) was .... you guessed it .... Neath!

They eventually managed to explain to him that he had to get of at Cardiff and go back to Neath ... but whether he made it, I've no idea. Mind you, I haven't seen him since (or heard his phone), so I think that he did .... but you never know!

And one that happned to me ....

Many years ago, I was in a dinner in Cardiff, after which we went on to a bar.

I then had to get back to Newport. My next train was the "Boat Train" from Fishguard Harbour to Paddington, which left Cardiff at 04.20. However, it was late, and didn't arrive until about 05.10. It was late and dark, I was tired and emotional, the train was the old Mark 1 compartment stock, so ... I fell asleeep!

I was woken up by the train stopping, and was told by the guard that we were just outside Reading. "But I was only going to Newport" says I ... "Okay, you'll have to go to Reading and take the first train back" he replies.

So, this is what I did, and got home at about 10.00am. Luckily enough, when I explained to the guard what had happened, he didn't charge me, so I was fortunate .... but I still felt pretty stupid!

 

[Crossover]

Yep, HST from Doncaster to York when he was meant to be going to Leeds.

He changed at York in the end for a 185.

Yep, a 185 a number of us were on

If I recall correctly the screens at Cambridge were changed to read "Lime Street Liverpool" to reduce confusion with "Liverpool Street".

At Norwich they say Lime Street Liverpool - still have to do a double check though!