Southern - Now Dangerous

Lower West Stander · Jul 31, 2017

I've just been stuck on a Southern train at Three Bridges for 25 minutes with the doors locked. There were no announcements from anyone. Finally the driver came on to say the train would be cancelled but still couldn't open the doors.

As well as the frustration of watching connections sail through the station - this is surely a massive health risk? If anything at all had happened to anyone on the train or if there had been a fire no one would have been able to do anything. We were stuck on the train and couldn't get off.

After 25 years of on and off commuting this is the first time I can ever really say I felt nervous on a train.

Well done Southern - yet again

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The Clamp · Jul 31, 2017

Should have locate the emergency window, smashed it, got out and gone about your day.

Hillian1 · Jul 31, 2017

Aren't all the doors able to open manually?

Lower West Stander · Jul 31, 2017

Hillian1 said:
Aren't all the doors able to open manually?

Possibly - but I wouldn't have a clue how to do it. And good luck trying to smash a window!

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The Clamp · Jul 31, 2017

Lower West Stander said:
Possibly - but I wouldn't have a clue how to do it. And good luck trying to smash a window!

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There are instructions on the door on how to open them.
As I said, find the EMERGENCY WINDOW, take the little hammer next to it and give it a swift crack. It is designed to break on impact.
Alternatively, put your headphones in, get a podcast on and relish 25 mins of chill.

pastafarian · Jul 31, 2017

Got on the train saturday up to London for the test match, it was busy with foreign students but by no means packed, plenty of standing room. Pulled into haywards heath and the controller bloke stopped people joining the carriage saying it was now a health and safety hazard and instructed people on the platform to wait for the next train.
Quite a few people giggled thinking he was joking and was just about to say pulling your leg......he wasnt.
im not sure how he thought he was controlling the rest of the train from where he was standing but am now convinced right across the board everyone at Southern rail are planks.......from the chai wallah to chairman, this company is not fit for purpose.

Gazwag · Jul 31, 2017

Hillian1 said:
Aren't all the doors able to open manually?

I'm sure there are instructions on each door how to open them manually.

Sounds like an unofficial protest to me, the driver could have easily opened one door at each end and one in the middle

The Clamp · Jul 31, 2017

Sounds about right. Drivers have been staging this childish little protests off and on, like the driver who shockingly refused to help the disabled person on to the train to make his point.
To make no announcement whatsoever is pathetic. Sums up Southern and it's crackpot staff. Useless.

CHAPPERS · Jul 31, 2017

Nothing like an assumption.

The Clamp · Jul 31, 2017

25 minutes and no announcements? Whatever way you cut it, that is bang out of order.

elninobonito · Jul 31, 2017

Similar thing happened from London Bridge coming home last week. Train arrived...doors in carriage 8-12 wouldn't open. There was a young mum with a pushchair panicking quite a lot a it was around 35 minutes before the doors actually opened. In the meantime quite a few commuters were walking down to the nearest open door and then walking to the end of the train to get a seat, this was presenting the mum getting off that way. In the end, I used just used the manual handle, it was under a green sign to open the doors and she got off.

We had no announcements or anything ,train left 45 mins late and was then cancelled at east Croydon.

Deadly Danson · Jul 31, 2017

The Clamp said:
Sounds about right. Drivers have been staging this childish little protests off and on, like the driver who shockingly refused to help the disabled person on to the train to make his point.
To make no announcement whatsoever is pathetic. Sums up Southern and it's crackpot staff. Useless.

Just to correct you - we have been EXPLICITLY told by our managers that if a wheelchair is on the platform and there are no platform staff or an OBS to assist we HAVE to leave them behind. That is a (disgraceful) fact but heaven forbid we should deal in those.

Deadly Danson · Jul 31, 2017

The Clamp said:
25 minutes and no announcements? Whatever way you cut it, that is bang out of order.

Assuming that is correct (which strikes me as unlikely) and I have no idea what happened here then for the first time we agree - that is unacceptable.

The Clamp · Jul 31, 2017

Deadly Danson said:
Just to correct you - we have been EXPLICITLY told by our managers that if a wheelchair is on the platform and there are no platform staff or an OBS to assist we HAVE to leave them behind. That is a (disgraceful) fact but heaven forbid we should deal in those.

All these principles you lot claim to have about safety yet you drive the DOO trains, you leave disabled people alone on platforms, leave passengers on locked trains with no information. It seems the only thing you're not willing to do in the name of safety is actually help anyone!
Anyway, no point trying to get you to admit otherwise. But we all know the truth ;-)

Billy the Fish · Jul 31, 2017

It's nothing new, I was stuck on a train like that 15 years ago. Very hot day between East Croydon and London Bridge where the train really is rammed.
These things happen sometimes.

Tom Hark Preston Park · Jul 31, 2017

The Clamp said:
25 minutes and no announcements? Whatever way you cut it, that is bang out of order.

This. It should be compulsory to make an announcement after a certain number of minutes. I've got a lot of respect for a driver who apologises for a delay, admits he doesn't know why the train's stuck at a red signal but is endeavouring to find out and will let us know as soon as he has any further information. Basic communication skills really, but they mean a lot.

coagulantwolf · Jul 31, 2017

Slightly different but was getting the London train yesterday (Sunday) the 8:42am from Worthing. On a Sunday the train joins at Worthing (think it's a Littlehampton and Portsmouth train combination). First Littlehampton train pulls up just in the middle of the platform, upon being told by OBS and platform staff that another train joins he was very insistent that the join was happening at Haywards Heath. After a bit the train finally moved forward and he must have conceded the fact on Sunday's it joins at Worthing!

New driver to the route??

JCL - the new kid in town · Jul 31, 2017

Tom Hark said:
This. It should be compulsory to make an announcement after a certain number of minutes. I've got a lot of respect for a driver who apologises for a delay, admits he doesn't know why the train's stuck at a red signal but is endeavouring to find out and will let us know as soon as he has any further information. Basic communication skills really, but they mean a lot.

indeed. I was on the train from great yarmouth to norwich. The train stopped outside norwich for about a minute and the driver told us why etc. I thought it was unnecessary as we'd only been stopped for a minute and the train was still running on time but it was a nice thing to do.

Peter Grummit · Jul 31, 2017

I too got on a train to go to the Test on Saturday. At Lewes, no seats. An hour's journey to London, standing. On a Saturday. At LGW, tens of air passengers with luggage attempt to cram on. None of whom move down the carriage. Carnage. Not a 'health and safety' decision in sight. Couldn't run a chicken.

PG

vegster · Jul 31, 2017

The Clamp said:
Sounds about right. Drivers have been staging this childish little protests off and on, like the driver who shockingly refused to help the disabled person on to the train to make his point.
To make no announcement whatsoever is pathetic. Sums up Southern and it's crackpot staff. Useless.

Surely you can't expect a driver to stop the train at a station get out of his cab then run back and set a ramp up and wheel someone on then run back to the front of the train ? There should be platform staff for this and Southern have cut them back to the bone.

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