What action should you take if your train does not stop at your scheduled station?

[whole diary]

[froome]

Out of interest, if it became obvious to a passenger that a train wasn't going to stop at a station they were expecting to alight from (ie the train appeared to be going too fast to stop in time), what would happen if the passenger pulled the emergency cord. Would they be prosecuted?

[JayMac]

Such action would be frowned upon, not being an emergency, but I think prosecution would be unlikely.

[ChrisB]

I've seen that done - unfortunately, by the time the pax realised, they were on top almost of the station & even the emergency stop didn't stop the train until it had gone through the station. So they were delayed even further while the crew investigated & reset systems, before heading away to another station.

You may as well simply await the next stop as that'll be the shortest delay

[grahame]

You may as well simply await the next stop as that'll be the shortest delay

Assuming you are confident that the train WILL stop and isn't a runaway!

[froome]

Just to add to my original question - if a passenger realised that the train was approaching their station and didn't appear to be braking, what action should they do? I assume the response should be bring it to the attention of the train manager, but that is not always that easy on a busy train. If they did pull the cord and the train came to a stop just beyond the station (e.g. almost within touching distance of it), is there any way it would be allowed to reverse back, or will it always have to proceed forwards?

And just in case anyone is wondering, I'm not envisaging ever doing this myself. 

[PhilWakely]

Going off at a slight tangent, but still relating to a 'forgot to stop' incident............

I was waiting at Pinhoe station a dozen or so years back to meet a work colleague off the 10:30 arrival from Salisbury. There were a dozen or so others waiting to catch that train. It duly appeared in the distance, but showed no sign of braking whatsoever and shot straight through the station. I immediately pressed the 'Help Point' button to advise of the failure to stop.....only to be informed that their system showed the train having stopped for a full two minutes!

[Trowres]

Just to add to my original question - if a passenger realised that the train was approaching their station and didn't appear to be braking, what action should they do? I assume the response should be bring it to the attention of the train manager, but that is not always that easy on a busy train. If they did pull the cord and the train came to a stop just beyond the station (e.g. almost within touching distance of it), is there any way it would be allowed to reverse back, or will it always have to proceed forwards?

And just in case anyone is wondering, I'm not envisaging ever doing this myself. 

Froome, I think that you are asking a very pertinent question. On an HST^▸ (High Speed Train), you are unlikely to be able to find the train manager in time (the train doesn't have to be crowded - the rot set in at the dawn of the HST era when the (then) guard was secreted away at the end of the train behind opaque doors...or maybe was not there). On DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) trains, there isn't one other than the driver. So, should the passenger:
a) Assume that the driver has only missed the station,  but is otherwise mentally alert and operating as expected;
b) Wonder if the driver is incapacitated...but surely the safety devices will stop the train if an accident is imminent....right? (thinking Germanwings crash as I write)
c) Absorb the railway safety culture and never assume that something is OK if it might not be - so operate the alarm.
d) cross fingers and close eyes?

Open to the floor...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thank you for posing those very thought-provoking considerations here, Trowres. 

Is this almost in the nature of a new opinion poll, perhaps - simply to measure public reaction?

[Trowres]

Thank you for posing those very thought-provoking considerations here, Trowres. 

Is this almost in the nature of a new opinion poll, perhaps - simply to measure public reaction?

I did not intend this to be an opinion poll, though it is meant to encourage thought - both from would-be passengers and any rail industry staff reading. Looking at the GW^▸ (Great Western) advice to travellers https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/on-board/safety-on-board it is clearly offering advice only for the case of an obvious emergency - there is no guidance on what to do in cases of uncertainty. How is the passenger supposed to know whether or not there is "immediate danger" ? Not just in the missing stops scenario, but others... rough riding / strange noises / scary people / etc.

We are spending money on the technology for on-board wi-fi and so on. It doesn't seem unreasonable to have a way to connect to the conductor, or for DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)), probably control room staff, to report a concern with urgency but without leaving a painfully difficult stop train/hope for best decision to the passenger.

[stuving]

I can't help thinking that the number of passenger who could confidently work out that the train has passed the last likely service braking point for a station, but still had not reached the emergency braking point to stop at it, is tiny. Most can't even identify the station on passing through it, since at normal speeds you can't read the name on platform signs. So I think the issue of wanting to do something - whether triggering an emergency stop or something else - will mostly apply to those of a very anxious disposition indeed.

As for the alternative, don't most modern(ish) trains have an emergency call button? Not that it would necessarily get an answer, but it should.

[Chris from Nailsea]

With many thanks for your comments, Trowres, and taking into consideration input from other members, I have now split several posts off into this new topic here, and added an opinion poll.

In view of recent events, I really think we should all be asking ourselves, "What should I do if I saw something 'not quite right' ... ?"

[ellendune]

There does not seem to be an option to seek out the Guard/Train Manager

[Bmblbzzz]

I can't help thinking that the number of passenger who could confidently work out that the train has passed the last likely service braking point for a station, but still had not reached the emergency braking point to stop at it, is tiny. Most can't even identify the station on passing through it, since at normal speeds you can't read the name on platform signs. So I think the issue of wanting to do something - whether triggering an emergency stop or something else - will mostly apply to those of a very anxious disposition indeed.

As for the alternative, don't most modern(ish) trains have an emergency call button? Not that it would necessarily get an answer, but it should.

My thought too. Don't use the emergency stop button but the (green?) 'speak to driver' one. As for recognising the train's not going to stop, I think most people (myself included) will only do this once it's past passed the station!

[Chris from Nailsea]

There does not seem to be an option to seek out the Guard/Train Manager

There is now.  Thanks for your very valid suggestion. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Most can't even identify the station ...

Oh, I know ...