Swansea Mum's Horror as Daughter is Left Alone

[Hyphen]

More unbiased and accurate local news reporting from the South Wales Evening Post again then...

A MUM-OF-TWO has spoken of her horror and fear as she became stuck on a train — while her nine-year-old was left on a dark platform alone.

Stephanie Richards and daughter Eve made their way back from a family day out in Cardiff on the Arriva Trains 18.04 service to Gowerton.

But when the time came to depart and make their way home for a night in with a Chinese takeaway, they were forced to use different doors to exit the train — one of which did not work.

But Miss Richards claims the conductor refused to take the train back to Gowerton, meaning she was forced to continue on to Llanelli, leaving her daughter stranded.

"We'd been to Cardiff to see the Madagascar show," said Miss Richards.

"It was a nice family day out, we'd done a little bit of shopping as well with my friend and her 10-year-old son. We got the train from Cardiff to Gowerton, and my daughter saw a friend sitting a few rows behind us, so went to talk to them. As we were approaching Gowerton, I said to my daughter to come to me so we could get off together."

But a food trolley was blocking the aisle, cutting her off from her daughter.

"I asked if the man could move the trolley so she could come through, and he said no, and told us we'd have to use different exits," claimed Miss Richards, of Glan yr Afon, Bryngwyn Village, Gorseinon.

"We used different exits, and as we were pressing the buttons to get off at our exit, they wouldn't open. We then squeezed past the trolley to try the other doors, when the train started moving."

Miss Richards said it was at this time she started going frantic, realising Eve was on the platform alone.

"It's such a dark area where the station is in Gowerton, I think I went into a panic," she said.

"I did not know what to do, I was thinking of the danger of a 9-year-old girl in darkness in the middle of nowhere near a train line, strangers who could have abducted her.

"I asked the guy using the trolley to go and stop the train, or to see the conductor, but he told me it wasn't his job, and that he just served food."

Miss Richards made her own way to the conductor, but in the meantime had pulled the emergency brakes on the train. She added: "I eventually got an answer from the conductor and she asked me why I'd pulled the brake."

Miss Richards explained her predicament to the train conductor, who went on to tell her that it was not a legitimate reason to have pulled the emergency brake.

"She proceeded down the train carriage to re-set it, and the train started moving again," she added.

"I said that I had to go back to Gowerton because my nine-year-old child was on her own, and she then told me she couldn't, and that she'd have to explain to her boss why the emergency brake was pulled."

Luckily for Miss Richards, the story had a happy ending.

Speaking of her relief at being reunited with Eve, she said: "Someone who was on the train who knows us got off at Gowerton and realised Eve was on her own, and looked after her.

"They had my friend's contact number and rang her to let us know."

Miss Richards thanked Jo and Anthony Inkin for taking care of Eve during the time it took for them to return from Llanelli.

"Jo's husband Anthony came to pick us up too, because none of us had enough money to get a taxi back from Llanelli," she said.

"It would have cost us more than it did to get from Gowerton to Cardiff."

She said the event had left its mark on Eve who, after the incident, developed a migraine, adding: "We were due to go home and have a nice evening in to continue the day, with a Chinese takeaway, but she was traumatised, to be honest."

A spokeswoman for Arriva Trains Wales, said: "We apologise for any inconvenience or upset caused to Miss Richards and her daughter. Our customer services department has received her complaint, and is carrying out a full investigation in line with our complaints procedure and will respond to Miss Richards directly."

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What's the betting it's another moron passenger who didn't press the Open button properly?

No sympathy for these types of people - how many delay minutes would have added up and number of people put out for the train to be reversed back to Gowerton then headed back off right-way just for one person?

 

[BestWestern]

Until Arriva carry out an investigation it is, of course, impossible to lay blame here. But I would happily wager a week's salary that the doors will be found to work correctly. You never know though, there could have been a fault of some kind.

What is a little concerning is the alleged conduct of the staff on board - assuming the report is accurate. I would be very dissapointed to find a Guard (or Driver, the vague reporting suggests to me that it could have been either) berating a passenger for pulling a Passcom in those circumstances, though I do wonder why it wasn't pulled as soon as the train began to depart and when the platform was still adjacent; panic perhaps. Similarly I would expect a decent trolley steward to have the presence of mind to pull it on behalf of the passenger if it was apparent what had occured.

Either way, sounds very much like another case of pax panicking to leave the train and sadly not being quite quick enough.

 

[AlexS]

It happens from time to time I guess!

It reminds me of an occasion back in the early 90s (entirely my mother's fault by her own admission). She was taking me, some of my siblings and a friend to Telford Park for the day from Codsall, a small unstaffed station near Wolverhampton that has a volunteer preservation group who look after it and have done for years. The train rolled in, the usual 153 for the time, and she counted us all on to the train. Unfortunately she didn't count one of my brothers but did count our friend - my brother having gone to look at something behind the waiting shelter for whatever reason a small child will do so.

The train rolled out of the platform, then my mum realised my brother was missing and told the guard, who stopped the train himself about 50 metres up the track. He opened the local door at the back, and the station volunteer chap, Stan (who must be very elderly now, but I think is still going), came walking up the cess carrying my brother, passed him into the train to the guard, and we all went on our way.

How times change eh!

 

[blacknight]

So minutes delay are now more important than a 9 year old child alone on platform at unstaffed station.
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just for one person?

That person was a 9 year old child how selfish is todays society?

 

[IanD]

So minutes delay are now more important than a 9 year old child alone on platform at unstaffed station.
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That person was a 9 year old child how selfish is todays society?

From the article:

"Someone who was on the train who knows us got off at Gowerton and realised Eve was on her own, and looked after her"

So not on her own at all.

Another non-story presenting only the complainants side which is likely to be somewhat exaggerated for dramatic effect probably in an attempt to extort some sort of recompense from ATW.

 

[Tomnick]

So minutes delay are now more important than a 9 year old child alone on platform at unstaffed station.

Not so much about the delay minutes for me, but the risks involved in arranging an unsignalled wrong-direction movement* back to the platform, even if the Rule Book did allow it (which it doesn't) are significant!

* - I don't know the arrangements here, other than that I think it's on a single line, so the above may or may not apply!

 

[khib70]

More unbiased and accurate local news reporting from the South Wales Evening Post again then...

Link

What's the betting it's another moron passenger who didn't press the Open button properly?

No sympathy for these types of people - how many delay minutes would have added up and number of people put out for the train to be reversed back to Gowerton then headed back off right-way just for one person?

Well well, it's always interesting to see how quickly in this kind of thread the "all passengers are idiots, and the media hates the railway" brigade come riding in, but getting it out of the way in the OP is a first.

"Another moron passenger", "no sympathy" "delay minutes". God forbid that a train should be delayed for a couple of minutes to prevent a child being left alone on it. It was pure chance that another, presumably less "moronic" passenger was available to assist the child.

As other posters have correctly said, the story is incomplete and all from the passenger's side. But that's enough for the OP to exonerate rail staff without any personal knowledge of the particular incident - and describe the passenger as a "moron"

Sorry,but that's totally out of order, even by the wagon-circling standards of some people on this forum.

 

[BestWestern]

So minutes delay are now more important than a 9 year old child alone on platform at unstaffed station.
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That person was a 9 year old child how selfish is todays society?

As others have mentioned, it is not permitted for a train to simply 'reverse' back to a station, regardless of who or what may have been left on the platform. This is a fundamental point that, understandably, many passengers do not appreciate in these situations. An appropriate response from the crew however might have been to call 999 and advise the local police of the lone child.

 

[Gemz91]

I stopped reading the article after it became clear it was a case of everyone else being at fault except the mother, after she became a bit red faced at not getting off her at her stop for what ever reason.

As it also says in the article, a friend of the family also got off at the station, so was able to look after the child. Its not as if the train guard left a 9 year old girl stood on a platform by herself alone in the dark, with out asking any questions as the article makes it seem.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

"It's such a dark area where the station is in Gowerton, I think I went into a panic," she said.

"I did not know what to do, I was thinking of the danger of a 9-year-old girl in darkness in the middle of nowhere near a train line, strangers who could have abducted her.

Because as everyone knows thanks to the media, there are paedophiles hiding behind every hedge in the country waiting for unattended children to fall into their lap... :roll:

In all seriousness though, the issue that strikes me here (on the assumption that the woman's account is accurate) is that the staff on the front line perhaps didn't respond in the right way to the situation. Of course, there was no way the train could simply turn back, but perhaps staff could've been more sympathetic- and as BestWestern suggested, notified the police of the situation.

 

[Ferret]

The unintended consequences of having a trolley serving refreshments...

Of course, the door wasn't faulty - just Mother didn't make it to the exit door before the Guard had pressed the 'close doors' button, presumably after having ushered the child to the other door. A first class farce, and one questions the wisdom of the caterer for doing a service when approaching a station, although of course their knowledge will undoubtedly be limited.

I can understand somebody pulling the passcom in those circumstances, but setting back wouldn't be an option. I agree that the Guard should have called the Police.

 

[yorksrob]

I've had to run along the platform due to the door in front of me not working before.

I does happen y'know !

 

[Ferret]

I've had to run along the platform due to the door in front of me not working before.

I does happen y'know !

I'm well aware it happens! Not as often as people not reaching the door in time to get off though I base my observations on past experience and the balance of probabilities

Usually it's because the passenger was being dozy and didn't get their stuff together in time that leads to an overcarry, though on this occasion it was because of being blocked off by the trolley. I can't attach much blame to the parent, apart from the tedious going to the press which seems to be a default response of some people for no apparent reason.

 

[BestWestern]

The trolley issue is an interesting one. I don't know what the stock would have been here, presumably 150/158/175, but the suggestion that mother and daughter had to use different doors would imply that they weren't trapped at one end of the coach (i.e. front end of a 150 for example) - else how did they both get to a door? - but rather that the trolley was somewhere in the middle, and they each went in a different direction. If that's the case, then perhaps the steward could/should have moved a little to allow both passengers out of their seats, but he may have been unable to do so. With all the will in the world, stewards sometimes end up trapped in the middle of a carriage somewhere, however well planned they might (or might not) be. It does, however, sound very much like it was a last minute dash to vacate the seats and get to a door, and I'm not entirely convinced that the blame can be laid squarely with the guy on the trolley.

 

[crispy1978]

Agree with the above that the guard should have called the police.

Reminds me of a journey where we called at Harlech - the school train home essentially. The kids jumped on the train, and the train had just started pulling away when a kid ran on to the platform. On that occasion, the guard did stop the train and let the kid on. Different circumstances, obviously - but that was one lucky kid who would have otherwise had 2 hours on a train platform! Safe to say, he got some ribbing from his school colleagues!

 

[tractakid]

When I was at Telford Central earlier this year I overheard passengers, supposed to alight at Oakengates, complaining that the door didn't open. The next train was an hour later, I think they got a taxi in the end. Assuming the door WAS faulty, is it London Midland's responsibility to get them back to Oakengates?

 

[Ferret]

The trolley issue is an interesting one. I don't know what the stock would have been here, presumably 150/158/175, but the suggestion that mother and daughter had to use different doors would imply that they weren't trapped at one end of the coach (i.e. front end of a 150 for example) - else how did they both get to a door? - but rather that the trolley was somewhere in the middle, and they each went in a different direction. If that's the case, then perhaps the steward could/should have moved a little to allow both passengers out of their seats, but he may have been unable to do so. With all the will in the world, stewards sometimes end up trapped in the middle of a carriage somewhere, however well planned they might (or might not) be. It does, however, sound very much like it was a last minute dash to vacate the seats and get to a door, and I'm not entirely convinced that the blame can be laid squarely with the guy on the trolley.

I accept that even with planning, it's easy enough to get stuck in a carriage. I don't seek to blame anyone really, it seems to have been an unfortunate set of circumstances! One could ask whether the mother could be more proactive and head to a door earlier - I don't know, I wasn't there!

Frankly though, and no disrespect to trolley operatives intended - the trolley is a nuisance sometimes!

 

[SETCommuter]

When I was at Telford Central earlier this year I overheard passengers, supposed to alight at Oakengates, complaining that the door didn't open. The next train was an hour later, I think they got a taxi in the end. Assuming the door WAS faulty, is it London Midland's responsibility to get them back to Oakengates?

According to this forum, no they wouldn't as the doors would have been in perfect working order, the passengers were just idiots and it was their fault entirely.

 

[Ferret]

According to this forum, no they wouldn't as the doors would have been in perfect working order, the passengers were just idiots and it was their fault entirely.

If the doors were in working order, then the hell should a railway company pay for a taxi! If they weren't that's a different kettle of fish.

 

[SETCommuter]

If the doors were in working order, then the hell should a railway company pay for a taxi! If they weren't that's a different kettle of fish.

Agreed. The point I was making was that this might not be the best place to ask that question as it seems that in this forum, all doors are in working order all the time, no delays are the fault of the TOC, all staff members are helpful and friendly, trains run on time 100% of the time and all smell of lavender and roses, heck even all the stations are manned at all times, all ticket vending machines work perfectly all the time (even when there are none) and food on stations and trains is healthy, nutritious and amazingly cheap.

 

[Ferret]

Stop it SET Commuter, you'll be buying me some new underpants if you make me laugh any more! Healthy nutritious food indeed!

 

[bronzeonion]

Slight overreaction by the mother I think, the girl is 9 not 18 months!

 

[khib70]

Agreed. The point I was making was that this might not be the best place to ask that question as it seems that in this forum, all doors are in working order all the time, no delays are the fault of the TOC, all staff members are helpful and friendly, trains run on time 100% of the time and all smell of lavender and roses, heck even all the stations are manned at all times, all ticket vending machines work perfectly all the time (even when there are none) and food on stations and trains is healthy, nutritious and amazingly cheap.

I get it. And I agree completely.

Imagine if some "civilian" came on the forum and announced that they had missed their train due to "moronic" rail staff dispatching it early.

Meltdown:roll:

 

[MikeWh]

Slight overreaction by the mother I think, the girl is 9 not 18 months!

You have no idea! If the girl had been 18 months then the parent really would have been at fault. But you have to be a parent to fully understand how upsetting it is to be separated unexpectedly from a 9-year-old. I'm guessing you're not one, yet?

 

[PR1Berske]

I'm standing up for the passenger.

I've no sympathy with the rail industry at the best of times, but to label a young woman a moron without cause or reason?

 

[Flamingo]

I'm standing up for the passenger.

I've no sympathy with the rail industry at the best of times, but to label a young woman a moron without cause or reason?

Who from the rail industry called anybody a moron?

My money is on the mother trying to get to the door, trolley in the way, changes direction and by the time she gets to the next door it has been locked and driver buzzed.

The crew (if this account is correct) could have reacted better, a 999 call (or a call to Control for them to ring 999) would have ben a good call, assuming the mother had not already done so (if not why not? but that's just me asking - in that situation I would not be waiting for someone to do it for me).

Throwing the train into reverse was not going to happen.

 

[tony6499]

I think someone on board should have made sure the girl was ok and not left alone on the platform, nearly everyone these days has a mobile phone so it should have been easy to do that.

 

[Swirlz]

Whilst I think it is unreasonable to reverse the train, and also unreasonable to use the emergency stop, a sensible course of action would have been for the conductor to contact whoever monitors the CCTV, (control room?), until such time as the parent can return. The "control room" should contact the local or transport police if they anticipate a lengthy period of the minor being unattended.

Presumably the conductor has other (important and safety related) duties to be carried out... rather than being tied up dealing with this.

 

[bronzeonion]

You have no idea! If the girl had been 18 months then the parent really would have been at fault. But you have to be a parent to fully understand how upsetting it is to be separated unexpectedly from a 9-year-old. I'm guessing you're not one, yet?

That is a fair point, I'm 16!

 

[Greenback]

The trolley issue is an interesting one. I don't know what the stock would have been here, presumably 150/158/175, but the suggestion that mother and daughter had to use different doors would imply that they weren't trapped at one end of the coach (i.e. front end of a 150 for example) - else how did they both get to a door? - but rather that the trolley was somewhere in the middle, and they each went in a different direction. If that's the case, then perhaps the steward could/should have moved a little to allow both passengers out of their seats, but he may have been unable to do so. With all the will in the world, stewards sometimes end up trapped in the middle of a carriage somewhere, however well planned they might (or might not) be. It does, however, sound very much like it was a last minute dash to vacate the seats and get to a door, and I'm not entirely convinced that the blame can be laid squarely with the guy on the trolley.

An interesting post. I travel on these services a lot, and occasionally a trolley does get trapped in the carriage due to people being on each side wanting to get off. As long as the trolley can be maneouvered a little way in one direction, then that's what will happen, but it is not always possible as I have seen for myself.

I won't speculate further until more facts are available.
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Throwing the train into reverse was not going to happen.

Indeed, but given the level of expertise generally evident in the Evening Post, I wouldn't expect them to know that trains can't do that on whim!
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* - I don't know the arrangements here, other than that I think it's on a single line, so the above may or may not apply!

Gowerton is currently in the middle of a sinle line section, but not for much longer!