stuartmoss
Member
I experienced a problem last night with TransPennine Express (TPE) that I would like to share with you. I had gone to York for the day and bought a day-return from Horsforth. My intention was to get the 1P69 22:30 from York to Leeds, which would have connected with my last train to Horsforth (23:22), and from Horsforth my last bus to Cookridge. I was on the station early, and the 22:30 arrived empty from Middlesbrough at 22:10. Im not sure if this was meant to run empty, or if it was a cancelled train from Middlesbrough (no guard?).
At 22:30 1P69 was cancelled. No reason was given, I can only presume that either there was no guard, or that the driver would not take passengers on the diversionary route (this train was scheduled to go via Castleford). The reason given on Realtime Trains states This service was cancelled throughout due to late arrival of an inbound service, but that is simply not true as I watched the train arrive at 22:10 and it was there in the platform. The same train then ran as the 23:06, it took additional passengers from the inbound Newcastle Manchester Airport service (which was terminated at York).
The train ran to Leeds, arriving at 23:42. I went to find a TPE representative to find out about getting a taxi home, as my last train had gone, and my ticket was to Horsforth. There were a number of people in a similar situation to me travelling onwards to Wakefield and Burley-in-Wharfedale.
There were two TPE reps at Leeds, but they were also tasked with despatching trains. They were both young and had to deal with a fairly angry and not entirely sober mob (a couple of people particularly were quite aggressive). I genuinely felt sorry for the TPE staff at Leeds as they were desperately trying to get the TPE control at Manchester to sanction taxis, but TPE control at Manchester were being belligerent, even hanging up on one of the embarrassed TPE staff midway through a call.
After 40 minutes, I began to feel a bit off (Im diabetic) and knew that I needed to get home and take my meds, so I left to get my own Uber taxi, which I took to Cookridge, and which cost me £10.85 (I have an email receipt). I realise that £10.85 isnt the end of the world, but there is a principle here, and I believe that TPE should reimburse me (at least as far as Horsforth station, about £9.00), as well as apologise for the very poor customer service, which goes against their obligations as a TOC.
All of the problems with getting taxis were (from what I can tell) down to control at Manchester. I have no idea what happened in the end with the other passengers, and if TPE relented and got them taxis or not.
In summary my thoughts on this are:
1. Why cant TPE trust the staff at Leeds to make a judgement call for taxis?
2. The member(s) of staff at control in Manchester who were working on Saturday night (19th) need either removing or retraining (I tweeted this to TPE last night also no response so far).
3. The staff at Leeds were let down by colleagues in Manchester, who are abstract from what is happening on the ground. TPE control literally threw those two youngsters to the wolves, and I really felt sorry for them.
4. There is a health and safety issue here, where the TPE staff at Leeds were being verbally abused by angry customers, this will undoubtedly have a psychological impact upon them (research emotional labour). If these staff are at the same time performing safety critical roles whilst under this stress, there is a chance that distraction could occur, with potentially serious consequences.
I intend to write to TPE about this, although Im not sure who or where it should be addressed to, any suggestions? Is this something that should also be reported to passenger focus?
At 22:30 1P69 was cancelled. No reason was given, I can only presume that either there was no guard, or that the driver would not take passengers on the diversionary route (this train was scheduled to go via Castleford). The reason given on Realtime Trains states This service was cancelled throughout due to late arrival of an inbound service, but that is simply not true as I watched the train arrive at 22:10 and it was there in the platform. The same train then ran as the 23:06, it took additional passengers from the inbound Newcastle Manchester Airport service (which was terminated at York).
The train ran to Leeds, arriving at 23:42. I went to find a TPE representative to find out about getting a taxi home, as my last train had gone, and my ticket was to Horsforth. There were a number of people in a similar situation to me travelling onwards to Wakefield and Burley-in-Wharfedale.
There were two TPE reps at Leeds, but they were also tasked with despatching trains. They were both young and had to deal with a fairly angry and not entirely sober mob (a couple of people particularly were quite aggressive). I genuinely felt sorry for the TPE staff at Leeds as they were desperately trying to get the TPE control at Manchester to sanction taxis, but TPE control at Manchester were being belligerent, even hanging up on one of the embarrassed TPE staff midway through a call.
After 40 minutes, I began to feel a bit off (Im diabetic) and knew that I needed to get home and take my meds, so I left to get my own Uber taxi, which I took to Cookridge, and which cost me £10.85 (I have an email receipt). I realise that £10.85 isnt the end of the world, but there is a principle here, and I believe that TPE should reimburse me (at least as far as Horsforth station, about £9.00), as well as apologise for the very poor customer service, which goes against their obligations as a TOC.
All of the problems with getting taxis were (from what I can tell) down to control at Manchester. I have no idea what happened in the end with the other passengers, and if TPE relented and got them taxis or not.
In summary my thoughts on this are:
1. Why cant TPE trust the staff at Leeds to make a judgement call for taxis?
2. The member(s) of staff at control in Manchester who were working on Saturday night (19th) need either removing or retraining (I tweeted this to TPE last night also no response so far).
3. The staff at Leeds were let down by colleagues in Manchester, who are abstract from what is happening on the ground. TPE control literally threw those two youngsters to the wolves, and I really felt sorry for them.
4. There is a health and safety issue here, where the TPE staff at Leeds were being verbally abused by angry customers, this will undoubtedly have a psychological impact upon them (research emotional labour). If these staff are at the same time performing safety critical roles whilst under this stress, there is a chance that distraction could occur, with potentially serious consequences.
I intend to write to TPE about this, although Im not sure who or where it should be addressed to, any suggestions? Is this something that should also be reported to passenger focus?
