Commuters baffled as Southeastern train is diverted through train wash

[Mojo]

From the Metro: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/854249-commuters-baffled-as-train-is-diverted-through-train-wash

Rush-hour commuters were left dumbfounded when their Southeastern train service was diverted... through a giant train wash.

They were told to ensure all windows were closed before the train was driven at just a few miles per hour through the siding. Commuters on the 8.19am train from London Cannon Street to Orpington in Kent were also warned to expect to hear ‘slapping noises’ on the window as the brushes did their work.

One woman, who only wanted to be known as Claire, said: ‘Yet again, Southeastern have poor excuses for their long suffering customers who have no choice but to use their services in order to get to work. They are a complete joke and charge extortionate amounts of money for very poor service.’

Another said: ‘One minute we are on our way to Orpington and the next we’re going through a train wash – I mean, surely they can do that in their own time.’

A spokesman for Southeastern said yesterday’s service was diverted via the depot at Grove Park as a ‘last resort’ because of signalling problems in the area.

He added the wash was not on as the train passed through at 5mph but the driver would have checked the windows were closed in case the brushes were still wet.

The spokesman said: ‘We would not normally divert via the depot but it is better to keep the trains moving than not at all.’

 

[ainsworth74]

Well kudos to Southeastern for using some injenuity to keep services working! I bet there are some very jealous track bashers out there right about now

 

[pendolino]

Poor Southeastern, just when they were hoping things couldn't get any worse. Great story though.

 

[yorksrob]

How lucky are they - I've never track bashed a carriage washer - though I have been through Stourton goods yard a few times

 

[me123]

So Southeastern say the train washer wasn't actually working, but the commuter (the dubiously named "Claire") seemed to be under the impression that they were doing it to wash the train... I'm no expert on train washers, but surely it's going to be obvious whether or not it's actually on...

 

[Bittern]

I lol at the thread title. I lol at the confusion people must've been faced with. I LOL at the reaction of the woman.

Awesomeness.

 

[SS4]

They should have left the windows open, I know enough about commuter trains to know that many people need a shower

 

[class377man]

Another said: ‘One minute we are on our way to Orpington and the next we’re going through a train wash – I mean, surely they can do that in their own time.’

Unbelievable. You can sit at the red light for two hours next time if you'd prefer it :roll:

 

[S19]

I bet South Eastern's excuse wouldn't wash with a lot of passengers....

 

[Bittern]

They should have left the windows open, I know enough about commuter trains to know that many people need a shower

 

[wintonian]

I bet South Eastern's excuse wouldn't wash with a lot of passengers....

 

[CosherB]

Unbelievable. You can sit at the red light for two hours next time if you'd prefer it :roll:

Or, the TOC could deliver the service the customer has paid (dearly) for?

Crikey... Reality alarm! Rail workers take cover! That nasty 'real world' has raised its ugly head!!

Don't you just hate it when it does that? :roll::roll::roll:

 

[ainsworth74]

Or, the TOC could deliver the service the customer has paid (dearly) for?

Not a lot that SET can do about a Network Rail issue really.

 

[Bittern]

Or, the TOC could deliver the service the customer has paid (dearly) for?

They did, and I believe that's the point of this entire thing. They could've either run the service with it divered through the depot or cancel it altogether. Of course, the average commuter with an average IQ of a grand total of 1 probably doesn't realize that.

 

[DavidSmith]

Or, the TOC could deliver the service the customer has paid (dearly) for?

What do you think they should do? Don't just say things like "Oh well thats up to them to sort out" or "run the service". No glib answers, what's the solution? Other than what they did?

Explain how the TOC is to blame for signalling issues, they should just tell their drivers to plow on though red lights, yeah?

How is that for a reality check?

 

[ungreat]

Or, the TOC could deliver the service the customer has paid (dearly) for?

Crikey... Reality alarm! Rail workers take cover! That nasty 'real world' has raised its ugly head!!

Don't you just hate it when it does that? :roll::roll::roll:

Nope..couldnt care less..got the train moving didnt it? Use available routes to keep service going is the sensible option

 

[wintonian]

Things happen and when they do you have to work around them or wait for the problem to be solved.

Or is it possible to run a railway where nothing ever goes wrong that might inconvenience the passenger?

 

[DavidSmith]

Things happen and when they do you have to work around them or wait for the problem to be solved.

Or is it possible to run a railway where nothing ever goes wrong that might inconvenience the passenger?

Agreed. Things go wrong with anything and everything, thats this universe. Things break. For some reason the railway is inexplicably expected to be immune.

 

[deltic1989]

The fact is something went wrong and a workable sloution was found to keep the service running wether it taking the train through the carrage wash or through the carrage shed the piont is the train and passengers got to thier destination . I would lay good money on it that 'Claire' and her fellow passengers would have been a lot more upset if they had had to wait at a red signal for god knows how long until the signalling fault was fixed. It annoys me that some people who have no idea how a railway works see fit to complain about every little thing.

 

[CosherB]

Oh per - lease! My comment was not a castigation of running the train throgh the depot to keep the service going - that was smart thinking under difficult circumstances to keep things running.

It was a response to 377's post which expressed the view that 2 hours at a red was an acceptable alternative!

 

[DavidSmith]

It was a response to 377's post which expressed the view that 2 hours at a red was an acceptable alternative!

No, his post clearly expressed the view that it was the ONLY alternative. Not that it was acceptable or otherwise, which is irreverent if there are no other options.

 

[ainsworth74]

It was a response to 377's post which expressed the view that 2 hours at a red was an acceptable alternative!

Seriously!? I know sarcasm can be a hard thing to get on the internet, but that was blindingly obvious even without the use of :roll:!

 

[wintonian]

The fact is that those passengers with the same midset as the person known as 'Clare' would most likely have complained about the lack of an alternative if they were kept waiting for the signal. Some people you can never please.

 

[RichW1]

This is true, reminds me of the commuter you can never please when they think they'll ever get a seat on a commuter suburban service; basic common sense tells them that'll never happen in any big city around the globe!

Still, this story has made me laugh!

 

[Caped Crusader]

Or, the TOC could deliver the service the customer has paid (dearly) for?

Crikey... Reality alarm! Rail workers take cover! That nasty 'real world' has raised its ugly head!!

Don't you just hate it when it does that? :roll::roll::roll:

This is my take on the 'real world' of the Rail industry in the UK in the 21st Century:

The TOC is running rolling stock leased to them by ROSCO's, on an infrastructure that is owned and maintaned by Network Rail, from stations that are rented from Network Rail, to a timetable that is set out by the DFT and the ORR, charging fares that are overseen by ATOC.

Please correct me if I'm wrong on any points.

 

[YorkshireRider]

How on earth has this nothing story got into the paper. Has Clare or this other women contacted them and just lied about what happened? I cant believe that the driver didnt make an annocement as to why they were being diverted and it will have been obvious that the train wash was shut off:roll:

 

[Hydro]

I cant believe that the driver didnt make an annocement as to why they were being diverted and it will have been obvious that the train wash was shut off:roll:

I've been routed through a train wash several times, and all times we checked all windows were shut, but only a couple of occasions had the wash actually activated. Just a precaution.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

nice to see SET using the initiative, well done, nice bit of sarcasm previously btw so obviously sarcastic to most lol

 

[Welshman]

I wish Northern would do the same thing occasionally.

 

[mrcheek]

Ive come across some morons in my time, but I think Claire beats them all.
They need to find her, and lock her away somewhere. Clearly she lacks the mental cpacity to survive in the outside world.

Simple choice. Run through the train wash, or hold the train for a potentially long time. Southeastern keep the service running, and she complains. what an idiot.