On the news just now: passengers held on trains for 5 HOURS?
A world class railway? If it's anything near the truth, it's an absolute disgrace.
I was not involved in todays fiasco, but have been caught up in previous broadly similar incidents.
The first priority of the BTP and the train operators seems to be to contain people on the trains for as long as possible. When some eventually escape then blame the delays on "trespass incidents"
Of course delays occurred back in the good old days, but the situation is far worse these days.
In the old days, most passengers had seats, the windows opened, the toilets could be used, the emergency lighting worked for hours, and in hot weather it was common practice to open the doors on the side away from other traffic.
A prolonged delay was most inconvenient but not really that unpleasant and certainly not dangerous.
These days it is far worse, new shorter trains that are crush loaded with hundreds standing, no working toilets, sealed doors and windows without ventilation, and emergency lighting for a few minutes only.
To be stuck in such conditions for hours is an EMERGENCY not just another delay.
Whilst another review will no doubt be promised after today, nothing seems to have been learnt from all the previous reviews.
Sooner or later I predict multiple loss of life from heat stress etc. when a large scale breakdown occurs in the evening rush hour in hot weather.
Actually it was Summer 1973, not 72, that was the year I joined as Box Boy at Arundel Junction
