Commuters baffled as Southeastern train is diverted through train wash

[mallard]

This is good thinking on the part of SET, but also demonstrates why good delivery of information to passengers is vital for good customer service.

If the driver/guard had made an announcement saying something like, "Due to a technical failure on the railway, we have no choice but to divert through the depot's carriage washer to avoid cancelling this service, please make sure all windows are fully closed to avoid any water getting in. This delay will add approximately x minutes to our journey." Then the passengers would have understood what was going on and not assumed that the train was actually being washed in-service.

On Saturday I used a Transpennine Express service from Leeds that had to be diverted for similar reasons (not through a washer though!). The staff on that train kept us well informed of the problem. It's a shame that not all operators understand the importance of keeping passengers properly informed.

 

[pendolino]

If the driver/guard had made an announcement saying something like, "Due to a technical failure on the railway, we have no choice but to divert through the depot's carriage washer to avoid cancelling this service, please make sure all windows are fully closed to avoid any water getting in. This delay will add approximately x minutes to our journey." Then the passengers would have understood what was going on and not assumed that the train was actually being washed in-service.

Maybe he did? From that report, it seems some sort of announcement was made. Some people would still complain about it though, and the media would report it in the most hyperbolic way possible, it's what they do.

 

[jon0844]

I am not only shocked at how stupid 'Claire' is, but that the paper took that angle to make it a story attacking SET for using some initiative. That is unless we are to believe that they wanted to wash the train while it was in use, which they clearly didn't or the passengers might just have noticed!! If the train wash wasn't on, it's pretty obvious that it wasn't diverted there for that reason.

Metro could still have had a 'quirky' story to fill the same space and I am sure that (most) other people on the train would have found it a fun experience, and something to laugh about later (I bet there were people on the train commenting on Facebook and Twitter about this in a more light hearted way).

What's more, I'm sure any reader with an ounce of intelligence will have come to the same conclusion anyway, making Metro look stupid.

 

[mallard]

Maybe he did? From that report, it seems some sort of announcement was made. Some people would still complain about it though, and the media would report it in the most hyperbolic way possible, it's what they do.

Some people can't be helped - the ones that ignore announcements and expect everything to be 100% perfect 100% of the time. Most people however are reasonable and will be understanding if things are properly explained. I don't know the specifics of this case, but far too often passengers are left in the dark when things go wrong.

 

[dfishw]

hi i know it must be an inconvienent to have your train to be delayed...but you have got to see the funny side lol!

 

[Bittern]

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.

Recently I was on a train in the evening, and there had been some issues (can't recall what) which resulted in some services being cancelled. On board, this guy was moaning about how one of the trains had to be cancelled at one station because it was a driver switch over and the replacement driver was unavailable. Sure, fair enough, but it's what he said next that showed his lack of intelligence. He asked why can't the driver that brought the train in continue, and was otld that he (the driver) doesn't know the route.

What did he reply with?

"Are you kidding? Just follow the tracks."

Idiot.

 

[DarloRich]

I wish Northern would do the same thing occasionally.

Agreed - some of thier units now seem to have a new brown livery!

Good on SET for trying to keep things moving

 

[tbtc]

It was in some of the morning papers; BBC Radio Sheffield were talking about it.

Clearly it's obvious that the TOC weren't doing this to wash the train, but instead using an alternative route, yet the story still makes the press. Once the facts are established, people will have forgotten about the story, and all they will remember was "crazy train company decided to wash a train full of commuters - why can't they wait until the end of the day to do this" rather than what actually happened. We are so eager for a "quick" story that the facts don't matter.

Credit to the TOC here (and to the signal staff, if it were they who suggested the "diversion") - rather a delay of a minute (and a diversion) than sitting at a "red" for a long time.

TBH I'm almost more annoyed with the newspapers who published this story (which was clearly nonsense) than the stupid passengers who thought the TOC was actually doing this to wash the trains (in service) - the paper should surely have checked the facts, or do they just copy/paste any old nonsense these days?

 

[DarloRich]

Any old nonsense is simply cut and pasted into papers these days.

"Claire" is no doubt a minor ranking functionary at Metro and told some other minor ranking functionary over tea how her train got a wash on her way to work.

 

[90019]

the paper should surely have checked the facts, or do they just copy/paste any old nonsense these days?

Never let facts get in the way of a good story.

 

[Geezertronic]

Never let facts get in the way of a good story.

Thing is there wouldn't have been a story if the train sat at a Red for a couple of hours... shame when a TOC gets beaten up for keeping a service running

 

[ANorthernGuard]

I wish Northern would do the same thing occasionally.

all the 323's are clean and the the 150/2 I worked this Morn had been through the wash as well so maybe they have fixed the washer at Newton Heath lol

 

[Southern]

Saw this story in The Sun, tiny little snippet at the bottom of the page!

While not a fan of my local TOC, good on them for finding a solution to the problem, rather than cancelling the service altogether.

 

[Failed Unit]

Clearly it's obvious that the TOC weren't doing this to wash the train, but instead using an alternative route, yet the story still makes the press.

They might as well have washed it while they were at it - do two jobs at once

 

[YorkshireRider]

I still think both of women quoted knew perfectly well why the train was diverted and that it wasnt washed but just told lies to get the story in the paper. Either that or there both thick as pig sh*t.

 

[moggie]

Suds with your froth sir / madamme??

 

[jon0844]

Just like when the Daily Mail writes the latest bit of drivel, they totally misjudge their readership. That Metro story only has three comments, but they're all defending SET. To be honest, I can't see how anyone reading that story could come to any other conclusion. Anyone that does should probably be banned from voting or breeding (joke!).

Now unless Metro deliberately writes stories to wind people up, they should perhaps have a word with the author of the story to advise them on how to write for the reader!

 

[Aictos]

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

Including one right here as well,

 

[The Barlow Boy]

Recently I was on a train in the evening, and there had been some issues (can't recall what) which resulted in some services being cancelled. On board, this guy was moaning about how one of the trains had to be cancelled at one station because it was a driver switch over and the replacement driver was unavailable. Sure, fair enough, but it's what he said next that showed his lack of intelligence. He asked why can't the driver that brought the train in continue, and was otld that he (the driver) doesn't know the route.

What did he reply with?

"Are you kidding? Just follow the tracks."

Idiot.

He's not an idiot and it's not a lack of intelligence, it's a lack of understanding. never confuse one with the other.

 

[pdq]

He's not an idiot and it's not a lack of intelligence, it's a lack of understanding. never confuse one with the other.

Indeed! I hope I'm no idiot but until I started reading this forum a few months ago, I wouldn't have realised that drivers needed to know a route in order to drive it. But now I understand, albeit just a little.

 

[class156]

Any old nonsense is simply cut and pasted into papers these days.

"Claire" is no doubt a minor ranking functionary at Metro and told some other minor ranking functionary over tea how her train got a wash on her way to work.

Well it is a free paper so I wouldn't expect any accurate news stories from it.

 

[atomicdanny]

Well it is a free paper so I wouldn't expect any accurate news stories from it.

Its made by the same people who make Daily Mail though which says a lot!

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Does anyone else see the Irony of a paper given out free at almost all Major railway stations is owned by a paper that absolutely loathes the railway??

 

[adc82140]

"Claire" is probably a figment of some junior reporter's imagination. After all, she doesn't have a surname.

Why would anyone refuse to give a surname for that sort of interview- frightened that rail managers will send the "boys" round? The whole thing reeks of tabloid media sensationalism.

 

[tbtc]

Does anyone else see the Irony of a paper given out free at almost all Major railway stations is owned by a paper that absolutely loathes the railway??

Agreed

My view of the press is as follows:

1. When its a story I know a bit about (e.g. railways) its usually full of inaccuracies, generalisations, nonsense and padding

2. When its a story I know nothing about (e.g. rocket science...) I normally assume much of the story is crap for the same reasons.

If you can't trust newspapers to get things right (on the stories you know a bit about) then you might as well assume the other stories are drivel too

 

[Greenback]

I only read the Metro because it's free and I like a good laugh. And the Tv page is OK.

 

[tbtc]

I only read the Metro because it's free and I like a good laugh. And the Tv page is OK.

You can just about trust them to get the TV listings correct, to be fair

 

[Bittern]

He's not an idiot and it's not a lack of intelligence, it's a lack of understanding. never confuse one with the other.

He was obviously in the mindset that he knew more about the railway than a member of railway staff. This is idiotic.

 

[EM2]

I know a Metro journalist. I shall ask a few questions...

 

[bnm]

I know a Metro journalist. I shall ask a few questions...

They have journalists??? I thought it was chimpanzees sat at typewriters.