http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4290344.stm
Pupils 'sitting in luggage racks'
Please note, I am not saying that the service in question should be Class 31 hauled. The LHCS trains could be depoloyed on suitable services (e.g. Bristol to Brighton as happened last year), this then releases Class 158 units to strengthen trains elsewhere, by whichever methods are appropriate (e.g. 2x2 car trains replacing 3 car trains which in turn replace 2 car, or even re-forming sets as TPE have done, there are many options available).
Pupils 'sitting in luggage racks'
Good point, but it's still more dangerous to use road transport, so they need to get a sense of perspective.A Cornish school head has attacked "dangerous" overcrowding on a commuter train carrying children to school.
Schoolchildren are being forced to stand on the two-carriage train and sit in luggage racks on the morning service from Bodmin and St Austell.
Paul Smith, head of Truro School, says pupils regularly arrive late as a result of the train being late and his pupils' studies are suffering.
Wessex Trains said it had no spare train carriages.
Mr Smith, who has complained to Wessex Trains in the past, said: "Twenty five pupils arrived late this morning.
"The train authorities have been told that the train is not big enough. It's dangerous when they are crammed in and you would have thought that Wessex Trains would be addressing this problem because of the safety issue."
Well that is ridiculous. Integrated transport? I think not. But it's unfair to entirely blame the train company, what about the bus operator? it's difficult to comment without knowing the facts though: was the bus asked to wait? If so, and the driver refused, then that is scandalous IMO.Sixth-former Andrew Sampson, said the train was so overcrowded on Wednesday that the ticket inspector could not pass down the carriages.
That meant pupils who had not had their tickets checked on the train had to wait for them to be checked at Truro, and that meant they missed the connecting school bus.
Interesting choice of wording. In fact, it's a load of rubbish. Wessex owns NO carriages, they LEASE them. Is Mr Griffiiths saying that additional carriages cannot be leased? If so, then quite simply he is LYING, as there are a couple of top n tail Class 31 + Mk2 sets currently available for hire. Wessex currently don't require them, apparently.Fellow pupil Adam Hadley, who pays £25 a week for his ticket from Bodmin, said: "This morning 10 people were standing at Lostwithiel, at least 70 at Par and more than 100 at St Austell.
"It's worse than the London Underground. Some people were having to sit in the luggage racks. If there was even a slight collision the consequences would be horrendous."
He said that pupils had written to Wessex Trains four weeks ago complaining about the overcrowding, but had received no reply.
Wessex Trains Business Manager Andrew Griffiths said the company had no spare carriages.
Please note, I am not saying that the service in question should be Class 31 hauled. The LHCS trains could be depoloyed on suitable services (e.g. Bristol to Brighton as happened last year), this then releases Class 158 units to strengthen trains elsewhere, by whichever methods are appropriate (e.g. 2x2 car trains replacing 3 car trains which in turn replace 2 car, or even re-forming sets as TPE have done, there are many options available).
True if you count trains that are available to lease, but simply not leased, as not being in sidings. It's a case of them choosing the words that suit them."We make the best possible use of every train. There is nothing in the sidings.
True, but you can't have everyone travelling in comfort. But, to be fair the request isn't for everyone to have a seat but for potentially dangerous levels of overcrowding to be reduced."There are about a dozen services where people have to stand and when we get hold of extra railway stock we shall prioritise it to those most in need.
"In the slightly longer term I hope we shall be able to create more space on the train."
He added: "It's not good when people cannot get a seat and we would like everyone to travel in comfort."