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SWT Train Fire

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johnco

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18 Jan 2010
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Johnco, your point is not being disputed by myself sir. Obviously, keeping ALL passengers informed should be a key goal. In reality, the nature of that particular train fire (combined with the extreme weather across the area) caused the system to go into meltdown.

Its also worth noting, that when the mainline is disrupted like it was. Trains are usually diverted via Chertsey. However the first proving train failed at Chertsey due to ice on the Conrail, so diverting trains was not an option.

Hope this has not dented your confidence in using the train, as it was an extreme set of circumstances.

Now I am trying to reconstruct the sequence of events of the day, so would appreciate any help from anybody on any of the following points.
GUILDFORD train fire - allegedly a train went on fire at London Road at 04.58.
Any more information about what happened, eg fire brigade called, fire put out, train removed?
BASINGSTOKE fire alleged to have broken out about 09.00, what time were fire brigade called, and how long before fire was out and train removed?
BERRYLANDS fire - time seems to vary between 09.15 and 10.45. What time did the fire start, when was the fire brigade called, and when was the fire put out and the train removed? This is said to have been the 06.38 from Portsmouth Harbour (1T22). Was it already halted or delayed when the fire broke out, and if so why?
WIMBLEDON train broken down - a number of passengers including myseklf were told before 10.00 that there was a delay due to a train broken down at WIMBLEDON. This was repeated on a number of occasions, and about 11.00 we were told that this WIMBLEDON train had now been removed and we could proceed (but we didn't!). Later we were told that a train had NOW gone on fire at Berrylands and there would be further delays. I can find no other trace of this breakdown. Any info anybody?
There were also rumours of train fires at WOKING (1W44?) on 6 January,
and (1Z26) on 7 January, and possibly another on 8 January. Any info?
 
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johnco

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18 Jan 2010
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You want to know a lot? Why?

I was one of many thousand passengers needlessly caught up in a major back up of trains, because SWT chose to conceal the truth, encouraging us to board trains which were going nowhere for many hours. Stagecoach Press Office have now pulled down the shutters on disclosure of all except minimal information about the Berrylands fire. However they are even alleging that there was no fire at any time on the Berrylands train!!! This despite witness reports, and a London Fire Brigade report confirming the fire. Even further, they allege that no SWT train service caught fire during the cold weather period. They have declined to make any comment about their messages broadcast on deadlocked SWT trains that delays were due to a breakdown at Wimbledon. It looks as if there is a cover up going on here, part of which may be the witholding of information from passengers. If they get away with it, no doubt they will do it again and again. SWT management seem to be happy to bring down the shutters, and leave the front line rail staff to take the brunt of passenger exasperation. So, any comments?
 

SWT Driver

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29 Aug 2009
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The Twiglet Zone.
I'm sorry but I think you're a journalist or a manager.

You seem remarkably well briefed, briefed in only a way certain individuals would know things about.
 

Ben

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8 Jun 2005
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999
I'm sorry but I think you're a journalist or a manager.

You seem remarkably well briefed, briefed in only a way certain individuals would know things about.

Journo definitely, seen it time and time before, trying to get information from Enthusiasts.
 

jon0844

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Really? How many journalists take a real interest in the railway and getting to the truth?

(Ignores his own job for a second...!)
 

johnco

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18 Jan 2010
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I'm sorry but I think you're a journalist or a manager.

You seem remarkably well briefed, briefed in only a way certain individuals would know things about.

After over 50 years of hard work, I hung up my boots years ago, and took to voluntary unpaid charity work. Being needlessly stranded by SWT on 7 January for three hours with no heating, no toilets and no refreshments (and a diabetic and a heart condition) meant that the volunteer I was supposed to be relieving on a phone helpline for people with mental and emotional health problems had to cover until another volunteer could be called out from home. Otherwise for H&S reasons we would have had to close down. Many other hijacked passengers had worse problems, including a youngster who was trying to get to his first job interview after over a hundred applications, and a man who was trying for urgent domestic to get home to Scotland by rail, after sitting on an aircraft at Heathrow for over four hours the previous day. So the ripples of SWT neglect spread out to adversely affect many others. I exercised my democratic right to send a letter about this unpleasant and unnecessary experience to the "Readers Letters" page of a local newspaper, but what happens next? Yet another insincere apology from SWT, who then do absolutely nothing to improve communications with passengers? I make no apologies for trying to put together an argument to get someone, MP, newspaper, rail passenger complaints body, or whoever, to take up the cudgels on behalf of SWT passengers, who always seem to be at the back of the information queue. Has anyone (especially those who seem keen to have a pop at me) got any bright ideas about a better way to ensure that SWT keep passengers informed promptly, and as fully as possible in the future?
 

jon0844

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On the basis of what you've said, you would probably make an excellent journalist!

Good luck getting the information you're after. I think it's quite clear that SWT (amongst others) had a dire time over the last month or two - and certainly had an exceptional number of train fires, albeit not a fire in the sense that the train was completely destroyed or anything that severe.
 

johnco

Member
Joined
18 Jan 2010
Messages
8
On the basis of what you've said, you would probably make an excellent journalist!

Good luck getting the information you're after. I think it's quite clear that SWT (amongst others) had a dire time over the last month or two - and certainly had an exceptional number of train fires, albeit not a fire in the sense that the train was completely destroyed or anything that severe.



Thanks for good wishes. I do understand the logistical and practical difficulties. However, over the years I commuted SWTs passenger info systems were dire, in spite of all the computers, mobiles, radios, electronic display boards, and linked up PA systems. They still are, and by far the majority of passenger complaints in newspapers, and on the web have been about the black hole in communication of information, not about signal failures, trains breaking down etc (which most of us laymen regard as an act of God!).
 

Guard

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Joined
28 Nov 2007
Messages
7
johnco. sorry to be pain but swt were dealing with about 100,000 pax that day who had conviently ignored the masses of if you do not need to travel then dont information given out by not just the railways but the government. there was a train of fire at berrylands. lack of information problem at the time? well control has few people in that department, if they are all busy trying sort out some quite clearly major incidents then they are going to have problems sending out information to other train crews.

as on going investigations will be happening by departents such as the Rail accident investigation branch it would be inapropriate for the company to comment.

i would recomend patience awaiting a reply.
 
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