Had it been a late running train from Penzance (as opposed to a bus) which meant that the connection to the last London train was going to be missed by those on board, what would have been the routine in that scenario?
Interesting question.
The
TM‡ on the Penzance train would have been able to do an accurate headcount, and the precise location of the train and therefore an accurate ETA would be much easier to determine. All of which
might sway the decision in the favour of a train hold. Though a hold of over 20 minutes for a mainline train is quite rare
IME▸ , especially when an alternative route by train can be provided as it was in this case.
What I don't understand in these situations, whether the delay is by bus or train, is:
a) Why clear reasons for delaying the onward train aren't made known to the passengers sitting on it, who are wondering why it hasn't set off. I've been in that situation a few times, and often there have been no announcements at all (or any staff in sight).
b) Why the TM doesn't then go down the train straight away and ask passengers if they are dependent on connections being made.
The first time I had an issue even remotely similar to this was towards the last of the
BR▸ days. I was in Manchester and arrived at Piccadilly to board a train to Euston at around 17:30. Then there was an issue with that train showing on the display board as cancelled. Then they made a tannoy announcement that there was a problem with the Overhead lines just past Rugby. if you were travelling to London and already in the station then you would be taken to London. If you weren’t already in the station then they weren’t letting you in if you were going to London or places towards there on the
WCML▸ . In the first instance we were told to run to platform 13 or 14 where a train to Cardiff was waiting. That train was so full it made the London Underground in Rush hour look empty. Someone squeezed on but the rest of us walked back towards the main concourse.
Then we were told to wait for instructions and at about 7pm we boarded a train to Crewe. The idea was another train would meet us at Crewe. We waited at Crewe and eventually, it was a long wait, an
HST▸ appeared with a which was a very welcome sight. We boarded that, got to Rugby and had about half an hour to forty five minutes waiting at the platform there. We were not allowed off because the train could leave at any minute once it got clearance. The bloke at the buffet made announcements about his remaining stock twice, once to say he was out of food, and the second to say all the alcohol had now been sold. The guard came round and asked for people’s tickets and any onward destinations from their ticket station and said onward transportation would be provided especially at Euston. He said to me that some people were going a hell of a long way after Euston and I was a short hop. When we eventually arrived in London which was just after 1am from memory the next day, we were told to head to the taxi rank. A staff member walked the length of the line checking where you were going and then grouped people together. I was heading to West London and was put with four others in a Black Cab which duly left.
I asked the others where they were going and they said the South West. They were heading to Penzance supposedly on the sleeper but that train had left ages ago. The cabbie was taking them all the way there and he told me getting a good deal out of this. He said that he had family in the West Country and had called them when BR had put a call out for Taxis. He said he’d drive down there, drop the others off, go to the wife’s sister’s house and get a good sleep there before driving back.
BR were very good for those of us already in the station but if you weren’t already in there I suspect you were left to fend for yourself.
