Passengers locked inside Hartlepool station

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Pretty poor.

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/25670532.northern-apologises-passengers-locked-hartlepool-station/

[grahame]

Pretty poor.

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/25670532.northern-apologises-passengers-locked-hartlepool-station/

"Horror" story of security company locking the station before the late running last train had arrived.

Operator Northern has apologised and said the error was due to a security guard from a third-party contractor who locked up without checking the last train had arrived.

Claire told The Northern Echo: “We walked to the door and it didn’t open.

“Me and another passenger ran back to tell the driver and conductor that we’d been locked in, because the main ticket stations at Hartlepool closes early in the evening and the last door is locked after the final train.

She added: “They were amazing and stayed for the full 40 minutes.”

Claire also explained that it was “well-documented” the train was running late.

I ... highlight ... the quality of care from the train crew.  Northern should be proud of them, having said which I find 90% of the time that railway professionals do take that extra care of customers in extraordinary circumstances.  Heartening.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, commendable actions from the train crew.

[TaplowGreen]

Yes, commendable actions from the train crew.

Always good to be able to pluck a diamond from a turd! 

[Chris from Nailsea]

To be fair, it wasn't the train crew who caused the problem: that was due to a security guard from a third-party contractor who locked up without checking the last train had arrived.

I suspect Northern will be having some stern words with their third party contractor. 

[IndustryInsider]

To be fair, it wasn't the train crew who caused the problem: that was due to a security guard from a third-party contractor who locked up without checking the last train had arrived.

I suspect Northern will be having some stern words with their third party contractor. 

Indeed, perhaps the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) (who now 'own' Northern) should employ full time staff who are more likely to be aware of such things, rather than contractors?

Always good to be able to pluck a diamond from a turd! 

Yes, call me strange, but I'd much rather go looking for diamonds than turds.   

[TaplowGreen]

To be fair, it wasn't the train crew who caused the problem: that was due to a security guard from a third-party contractor who locked up without checking the last train had arrived.

I suspect Northern will be having some stern words with their third party contractor. 

True - Northern's train crew's behaviour was exemplary, in stark contrast to the chap who created the problem, for whose actions they are equally accountable, whether subcontractor or not.