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Author Topic: Paralympian tells of train toilet 'humiliation' - 8 Dec 2016  (Read 5381 times)
Chris from Nailsea
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« on: January 04, 2017, 23:20:02 »

From the BBC» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Quote
Paralympian tells of train toilet 'humiliation'

A Paralympian says she ended up wetting herself on a rail journey because the disabled toilet was out of order.

Anne Wafula-Strike, of Harlow, told how the disabled loo on a three-hour CrossCountry service from Nuneaton to Stansted last month was out of action.

She said train staff knew of her plight but by the time they reached a station with a disabled toilet it was too late.

CrossCountry said the train involved was only in use because cow strikes had left two other trains out of action.

The 47-year-old Kenyan-born wheelchair racer is a board member of UK (United Kingdom) Athletics and has an MBE for services to disability sport.

On the day of the incident - 8 December - she was returning home from a "very positive UK Athletics board meeting".

"They put me on the train and there was a wheelchair assistant there with a ramp," said Mrs Wafula-Strike, who said she was not warned in advance the train's disabled toilet was out of order.

"After half an hour I felt I needed to use the rest room and to my amazement the toilet was boarded up with a sign saying it was out of order. I waited for the ticket master to come and she was very sympathetic and said she would get me off at the next stop so I could use the toilet there and then they would put me back on. But at that particular station there was nobody on the platform to help me. The next possible platform was Peterborough. Between me asking for help and getting to Peterborough I just had to do it, I ended up wetting myself. My dignity was taken away, I was humiliated."


Mrs Wafula-Strike is to be offered complimentary travel tickets

Her MP (Member of Parliament), the Conservative Robert Halfon, wrote to CrossCountry saying Mrs Wafula-Strike's experience was a "totally unacceptable set of events for the 21st Century".

In his response, the managing director of CrossCountry Andy Cooper said Mrs Wafula-Strike's train had a door defect which had been due to be fixed. "We would not normally have pressed the train into service but in recent months two of our fleet of Class 170 trains have hit cows which had managed to stray on to the line," Mr Cooper said. "Both trains were so badly damaged that they have required major repairs and been out of service."

He said Mrs Wafula-Strike would be offered complimentary first class travel tickets by way of an apology.


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William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

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« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2017, 23:33:15 »

Bearing in mind the operator has apologised and acknowledged they fell short of the service they should have provided, and not wishing to trivialise too much what occurred...

These cow strikes mentioned in the article...

I wasn't aware that bovines had organised themselves. What action had Ermintrude and her cowleagues taken that disrupted trains? What union was this?

CWU» (Communication Workers Union - website). Cowmunication Workers Union?
MU (Multiple Unit). Moosicians Union?
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ChrisB
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« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2017, 09:01:05 »

There is capability of putting a suitable message about (disabled) toilet availability on the scrolling CIS (Customer Information System). I wonder whether it was there, and/or she missed seeing it.
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Tim
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« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2017, 10:45:23 »


I wasn't aware that bovines had organised themselves. What action had Ermintrude and her cowleagues taken that disrupted trains?


Refusing to sound their horns?
or perhaps a dirty protest?
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froome
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« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2017, 10:53:21 »

There is capability of putting a suitable message about (disabled) toilet availability on the scrolling CIS (Customer Information System). I wonder whether it was there, and/or she missed seeing it.

I have never seen any message about toilet availability on any train screens, whether inside the trains or on platforms.

Access to toilets is actually, IMV, a serious issue for many people (not just the disabled) and is one that TOCs (Train Operating Company) don't appear to take seriously. I have traveled on many GWR (Great Western Railway) services where all the toilets have been out of order, or where due to overcrowding, access to any toilet is impossible for more than a reasonable length of time.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2017, 10:57:26 »

You need to travel about more then because the scrolling CIS (Customer Information System) definitely can. I've seen XC (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains listed - which way round, no catering, etc etc
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froome
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« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2017, 11:06:00 »

You need to travel about more then because the scrolling CIS (Customer Information System) definitely can. I've seen XC (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains listed - which way round, no catering, etc etc

Most of my traveling is on GWR (Great Western Railway) services from GWR stations. CIS systems within those trains seem to be being introduced in the last few months (previously I hadn't seen any here locally) but haven't yet seen any mention on them of toilet availability. My local station has no screen on any platform, but when I have used those that do (mainly Bath Spa and Temple Meads) I've never seen any mention of toilet availability on the trains. And yes, I have looked!
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ChrisB
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« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2017, 11:07:50 »

Well, they are capable.
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Tim
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« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2017, 11:54:55 »

You need to travel about more then because the scrolling CIS (Customer Information System) definitely can. I've seen XC (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains listed - which way round, no catering, etc etc

I've seen a scrolling message at Bath about "disabled toilet missing" for an HST (High Speed Train).  It was at least a couple of years ago
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JayMac
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« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2017, 14:25:23 »

I've seen screen messages about lack of disabled spaces and toilets at GWR (Great Western Railway) stations. These messages are often backed up by the public address system.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2017, 19:51:06 by bignosemac » Logged

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John R
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« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2017, 18:31:22 »

Yep, me too.
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LiskeardRich
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« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2017, 05:52:31 »

You need to travel about more then because the scrolling CIS (Customer Information System) definitely can. I've seen XC (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains listed - which way round, no catering, etc etc

I've seen a scrolling message at Bath about "disabled toilet missing" for an HST (High Speed Train).  It was at least a couple of years ago

I saw this several times when I was travelling daily. 4am starts these days mean the car is needed
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ray951
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« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2017, 16:31:09 »

This was taken from the CIS (Customer Information System) at Oxford today and states 'No Std Wheelchair space' on the Hereford  - Paddington train.
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John R
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« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2017, 19:31:20 »

One would hope that under those circumstances a wheelchair user would be offered the seat in first if it is available (and accessible given short platforms). 
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2017, 22:05:12 »

From the BBC» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Quote
Paralympian Anne Wafula-Strike wins train toilet payout

A Paralympian has been compensated after wetting herself on a train when the disabled toilet was not working.

Anne Wafula-Strike, 48, was on a three-hour CrossCountry train from Nuneaton to Stansted in December with an out-of-order accessible loo.

The wheelchair racer, from Harlow, said train staff knew she needed to use the toilet but when they reached a station it was too late.

CrossCountry has apologised and made a confidential payment.

A CrossCountry spokesman said since what happened on 8 December, a "thorough review" had been undertaken.

He added: "While we have apologised for the events that day, a lot of good has also resulted from this, with the whole rail industry looking at ways to make Britain's railways a more accessible environment, alongside the Department for Transport's ongoing consultation on an Accessibility Action Plan."

The deadline for the Accessibility Action Plan's consultation ends on Wednesday.

Kenya-born Mrs Wafula-Strike, who is a board member of UK (United Kingdom) Athletics and has an MBE for services to disability sport, has said disabled travellers need the "support of the Government to hold transport companies to account".

Mrs Wafula-Strike had been returning from a UK Athletics board meeting when she needed to use the toilet and asked the ticket master if they could let her off at the next stop after seeing the out-of-order sign.

However, Mrs Wafula-Strike said there was nobody to help her at that station and on the way to the following station she "ended up wetting" herself, which was "humiliating".


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William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
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