Train farce

[Deleted User X18H]

It was in service, and we were told at Brighton that drivers don't "just forget to stop"

Apparently the train didn't have a guard, which was bollocks really because there were people on it.

Exactly. How can you f***ing forget? And why does it not happen in other industries? Planes dont overshoot the Caribbean and end up in f***ing Mexico because the pilot was day dreaming do they?

But he said he was told that drivers 'dont just forget to stop' So the driver didn't forget he was probably advised not to stop. I have dealt with claims where pilots have missed an airport for curious reasons. One case they both fell asleep and didn't respond to auto pilot warnings so the AP put them in a holding pattern for another airport. Few years ago now but it made the news and everything.

 

[Hillian1]

But he said he was told that drivers 'dont just forget to stop' So the driver didn't forget he was probably advised not to stop. I have dealt with claims where pilots have missed an airport for curious reasons. One case they both fell asleep and didn't respond to auto pilot warnings so the AP put them in a holding pattern for another airport. Few years ago now but it made the news and everything.

Tim, belt up will you there's a good man, I'm having a perfectly justified rant about the shambles that was last nights travel and your spoiling it.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Tim, belt up will you there's a good man, I'm having a perfectly justified rant about the shambles that was last nights travel and your spoiling it.

OK .I can see your point. I'd contact Southern you might get something free from them. Or they will blame Network Rail. Good luck!

 

[British Bulldog]

He may well be spot on, but Falmer station, albeit a smaller station was always going to have several thousand people waiting for a train, or did they f***ing "forget" that.

Without having the full facts of what went wrong i'm in the same boat as every one else in not being able to answer that, I can see reasons why the train wouldn't have stopped there but where the actual fault lies I don't know.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Railway in this country is a f***ing joke. Total and utter joke. If you go to football in Germany you will see how brilliant they are at mass transit. The way the Olympiastadion runs its trains after a game is incredible to watch. I recently went to Mainz and they have a new 30k out of town ground with no rail station. The bus service was incredible with banks and banks of long buses pulling up, I waited a full 2 minutes to get on a bus having left the ground 10 mins after final whistle which dropped me back in town. I was in a heavy metal bar drinking mead within 30 mins of final whistle.

We are just so shit at public transport.

At the risk of cementing the myth that people we fought in wars can make trains run on time the Japanese are also brilliant at this. I lived in Tokyo and we went to a friendly between Japan and South Korea in Saitama. No train queues either way despite a bigger crowd and you could have a cold beer and a bowl of noodles in your seat. They also know how to get on board a busy train and move down it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

At the risk of cementing the myth that people we fought in wars can make trains run on time the Japanese are also brilliant at this. I lived in Tokyo and we went to a friendly between Japan and South Korea in Saitama. No train queues either way despite a bigger crowd and you could have a cold beer and a bowl of noodles in your seat. They also know how to get on board a busy train and move down it.

I'm with you on this brother. The japanese even have websites dedicated to the tactics involved when groping young ladies in carriages and evading detection. What's not to like?

PS I find their amputee porn a bit weird though.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Without having the full facts of what went wrong i'm in the same boat as every one else in not being able to answer that, I can see reasons why the train wouldn't have stopped there but where the actual fault lies I don't know.

f*** the full facts. It was a farce, end of.

 

[British Bulldog]

f*** the full facts. It was a farce, end of.

Why let facts get in the way of a good rant eh! Looking at it i'm rather glad I didn't go last night

 

[Hillian1]

OK .I can see your point. I'd contact Southern you might get something free from them. Or they will blame Network Rail. Good luck!

I don't do trying to get something for nothing Tim, I pay for my Travel by having purchased a book of vouchers before the season started, I do not expect red carpet treatment and fully anticipate delays due to a leaf on the line in autumn, the wrong type of snow in winter and trains breaking down from time to time.

What pisses me off is when a train, that was supposed to stop, was on the boards as stopping, goes straight past with several thousand people waiting to board.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

I don't do trying to get something for nothing Tim, I pay for my Travel by having purchased a book of vouchers before the season started, I do not expect red carpet treatment and fully anticipate delays due to a leaf on the line in autumn, the wrong type of snow in winter and trains breaking down from time to time.

What pisses me off is when a train, that was supposed to stop, was on the boards as stopping, goes straight past with several thousand people waiting to board.

Ok. Finally from me, it does appear that this train was specifically instructed not to stop as it had no guard. Ludicrous as they were lots of 'officials on the station I know. Maybe contact Southern or the club to ensure that this doesn't happen again. Especially with a potential 8000 more punters next season.

 

[les dynam]

Southern put on a special service direct to London after the Millwall game (from the Lewes bound platform, so must have gone into to Lewes, and then back up the line straight to London) - i realise this was a police measure to help deal with Millwall's lovely friendly fans - but could they not do this on other midweek matches, to help people heading north? I think it left at about 10.15. The police organised a seperate queue for this train, behind the station building at Falmer. This would help wouldn't it, so if you're heading back up to London you could wait and queue for this train, rather than have to struggle into Brighton or Lewes and change?

 

[Uter]

Yeah but without a guard it can't stop at smaller stations. They do this a lot on the Brighton express services it's called DOO I think. Happened on commuter trains a few times so they only stop at bigger stations like Haywards Heath.Where there are staff to see the train off. And this doesn't usually happen at Falmer. There is hardly anyone there on (non-match) routine days. Protocol I expect.

If it was the 21:17 then that is the Ashford to Brighton service which is normally 2 carriages and doesn't stop at Falmer. If the train that didn't stop had 8 carriages then the Ashford train was replaced by an 8 carriage train en route (probably at Eastbourne). The only reason this would have done this would be because the intention was to make an unscheduled stop at Falmer. In the absence of any other information the most likely reason it didn't would IMO be either driver error, or communication breakdown. If they had to have a guard then I guess staff shortages could be another explanation.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Southern put on a special service direct to London after the Millwall game (from the Lewes bound platform, so must have gone into to Lewes, and then back up the line straight to London) - i realise this was a police measure to help deal with Millwall's lovely friendly fans - but could they not do this on other midweek matches, to help people heading north? I think it left at about 10.15. The police organised a seperate queue for this train, behind the station building at Falmer. This would help wouldn't it, so if you're heading back up to London you could wait and queue for this train, rather than have to struggle into Brighton or Lewes and change?

Far too sensible an idea. You have no chance whatsoever of getting a career in the railway industry.

 

[Hillian1]

If it was the 21:17 then that is the Ashford to Brighton service which is normally 2 carriages and doesn't stop at Falmer. If the train that didn't stop had 8 carriages then the Ashford train was replaced by an 8 carriage train en route (probably at Eastbourne). The only reason this would have done this would be because the intention was to make an unscheduled stop at Falmer. In the absence of any other information the most likely reason it didn't would IMO be either driver error, or communication breakdown. If they had to have a guard then I guess staff shortages could be another explanation.

At the risk of sounding stupid, do you think the driver of the 2 carriage train may have at least enquired as to why someone just bolted another 6 to the back of his train?

 

[Deleted User X18H]

At the risk of sounding stupid, do you think the driver of the 2 carriage train may have at least enquired as to why someone just bolted another 6 to the back of his train?

I think he means two four car trains. Or units I believe is the correct term.

 

[British Bulldog]

Southern put on a special service direct to London after the Millwall game (from the Lewes bound platform, so must have gone into to Lewes, and then back up the line straight to London) - i realise this was a police measure to help deal with Millwall's lovely friendly fans - but could they not do this on other midweek matches, to help people heading north? I think it left at about 10.15. The police organised a seperate queue for this train, behind the station building at Falmer. This would help wouldn't it, so if you're heading back up to London you could wait and queue for this train, rather than have to struggle into Brighton or Lewes and change?

I'm sure Southern could do quite a bit more to help but with no financial incentive I very much doubt they will.

 

[Uter]

At the risk of sounding stupid, do you think the driver of the 2 carriage train may have at least enquired as to why someone just bolted another 6 to the back of his train?

It doesn't have 6 carriages added. The 2 carriage diesel train (or single 2 car unit) is replaced by an 8 carriage (or 2 four car units) electric train. It might not necessarily have the same driver.

 

[Hillian1]

It doesn't have 6 carriages added. The 2 carriage diesel train (or single 2 car unit) is replaced by an 8 carriage (or 2 four car units) train. It might not necessarily have the same driver.

OK, thanks.

Still surprised though, if that is what happened, that no-one told the alternate driver the reason for the switch is because many thousands of people are waiting to get on at Falmer.

 

[beorhthelm]

I think he means two four car trains. Or units I believe is the correct term.

no, he means carriages, hence the use of the word "carriages". the Ashford service is 2 cars long and doesnt stop at Falmer, when i first read this thread i summised something exactly like Uter's suggestion maybe at the root. now, having added the carriages he'd probably have to have done some checks or even move to a new cab to drive, i can only assume that he didnt ask and no one bothered to tell him about the stop. But he must have also been cleared to go through, so presumably the signal man hadnt been told either.

chalk one to massive cockup, learn and move on.

 

[Uter]

OK, thanks.

Still surprised though, if that is what happened, that no-one told the alternate driver the reason for the switch is because many thousands of people are waiting to get on at Falmer.

Well, just speculating. Could have been a sound operational reason for not doing so.

I think people appreciate that things go wrong from time to time, but if it was known beforehand that the train couldn't stop for whatever reason/problem, leaving passengers in the dark is incredibly frustrating. Just tell us what's going on!