Scariest Rail Experience

[J-2739]

Halloween's up and coming tomorrow, so I only though a thread like this was fitting. What time of commuting or generally using the railways has scared you? You must have had one at some point!

Ok, I only have a few, and all happened around about 2005-07 (I was only young ) and don't scare me now! Here's one:

2006. I'm on board a VXC* service to Glasgow. Like all journeys to the Scotts, it takes a while, and it got to the point I needed to empty my bladder out. I went to the toilets and used it like a normal person. After that, I looked for the flush handle but instead saw a familiar yellow button. I LOVED pressing them back then. I jabbed at it, thinking it was going to open a secret door. Instead, it WAS the 'flush handle'. The toilet flushed itself and sounded like a Panasonic vacuum cleaner. I think half of my life just left my body at that moment.

In an instant, I left the bathroom, without washing my hands. Or zipping my trousers up...

Happy early Halloween, RailUK Forum!

* Don't know what this means? Click http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=136074

 

[matt_world2004]

About 10 years ago I used to travel on the tube fairly infrequently however whenever I did they would catch on fire and recently I am standing at Northolt station as the train comes in and someone charges towards me agreesively as the train pulls into the platform.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Last trains to anywhere out of Leeds on a Saturday evening can be pretty hair-raising...

 

[Gathursty]

Travelling to Grimsby to find out the Barton Line is bustituted all day #Grim

 

[F Great Eastern]

I was once on a 170 that was going very slowly and felt like it was going down a hill for about 5 mins, got to Colchester and we were all ordered off, Looked at the train body and the front of the carriage was lower than the back, never seen anything like that before, didn't see that 170 around for ages after that.

 

[alex17595]

Going anywhere in Croydon on Tramlink

 

[faltskog36abba]

My scariest experience on a train was over 10 years ago. I was travelling from Manchester Victoria to Southport on a 142 and the train was half an hour late, so it ran express from Wigan to Southport only. Talk about a white knuckle ride-the train was bouncing all over the place and the driver kept beeping his horn, I only learned later that the line has a few level crossings and that's why the horn kept getting blasted.

 

[ValleyLines142]

My scariest experience was on a 158 from Cardiff to Manchester. Near Nantwich we sadly hit someone. I actually saw said victim be thrown off the track onto the field. Not nice at all.

 

[MancMetro]

About a month ago I was on a TPE train from Manchester Piccadilly to Huddersfield. Just before entering Standedge Tunnel there was a 'thump' and I saw a window shatter further down the carriage (luckily the inner part of the window did not break, so no glass entered the carriage). The lady sitting there screamed, and the passengers at that table all got up. The train then came to a stop before the tunnel entrance, and the guard came to have a look.

The train later continued and the guard came on the tannoy to say it was probably kids throwing stones at trains. It continued to Hull where it was taken out of service.

 

[J-2739]

Thanks for the replies so far, way better than my childhood something...!

My scariest experience was on a 158 from Cardiff to Manchester. Near Nantwich we sadly hit someone. I actually saw said victim be thrown off the track onto the field. Not nice at all.

Sheesh, awful. Thoughts with the family, was there ever a thread on it?

 

[grumblingalong]

TheEdge and I went to Sheerness on a train once. Never again.

 

[mike57]

Mine was on the tube, probably 45+ years ago, I was in my early teens, and I was on my own.

There was a fire in the tunnel, and the train filled with smoke. It was bad enough to make your eyes sore, Visibility even in the carriage was reduced. I was very unhappy... We eventually got to Clapham Common station, and they cleared everyone off the train and platform and closed the station. I finished my journey home by bus.

As soon as I walked in the front door my mum said 'What have you been doing, you stink of smoke' I explained, but bearing in mind past incidents with me and fire I don't think she believed me but she told me the next day a neighbor had backed my story as she had been cleared from the platform before my train got in.

 

[SPADTrap]

When you get held up on your going home train by disruption.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Sheesh, awful. Thoughts with the family, was there ever a thread on it?

I know. I have no idea if the person was killed.

It happened in 2007, so there might be.

 

[Lockwood]

My scariest experience was on a 158 from Cardiff to Manchester. Near Nantwich we sadly hit someone. I actually saw said victim be thrown off the track onto the field. Not nice at all.

*e-hug*

My scariest was attending an incident.
We'd been assured the scene was safe, and had been proven safe, but there was still that doubt in the back of your mind. Is that train about to move? Am I going to trip over something and crack my head open on a rail? Am I going to tread on anything that I really do not want to be treading on?

Seeing the incident as it happened though? Ick.

 

[ExRes]

Using Harlesden station at night

 

[Lockwood]

My scariest experience was on a 158 from Cardiff to Manchester. Near Nantwich we sadly hit someone. I actually saw said victim be thrown off the track onto the field. Not nice at all.

*e-hug*

My scariest moment was attending an incident.
We had been assured the scene was safe, and this had been proven, but there was still that doubt in the back of my mind. Is that unit about to move? Am I going to trip over something and crack my head open on a rail? Am in going to tread on something I really shouldn't tread on?
On the way back it felt surreal. I am walking along a four foot, staring a 450 right in the headlights - I shouldn't be here, this feels wrong.

To actually see the incident occur though? Ick.

 

[scott118]

TheEdge and I went to Sheerness on a train once. Never again.

In the dark? That's brave...

didn't TheEdge once visit, the Tan Hill Inn, with 'angry Dave', on one occassion, and live to tell the tale?

TheEdge - the Thetford tractor wrestler?

..fearless.

 

[TheEdge]

TheEdge and I went to Sheerness on a train once. Never again.

I was considering suicide as the return journey was too long and terrifying.

Two for me. Number one has to be being in a full blown train crash. Number two was an incident a few months ago when approaching a station, brakes come slamming on, we come to a grinding halt and stood in the 4ft of the other line was a woman who made it very clearly known she was waiting to be hit by a train.

 

[Bevan Price]

Standedge Tunnel again, but many years ago, when the old single bore tunnels were also in use. Heading home on a Newcastle - Liverpool express, the Class 46 got slower & slower until we ground to a halt somewhere in the middle of one of the single line bores. Sat there for something like 2 hours until they found a tender first Black 5 to drag us to Manchester........

 

[djpontrack]

In 2005, I was on a 158 from Southampton to Bath after a day of unit bashing and wetherspoons ticking in the Portsmouth area. The unit I think was non stop from Romsey to Salisbury, as we passed through Dunbridge at speed, a woman jumped in front of us and I remember see something white flying past the window.

 

[tim_lathe]

Heres mine, earlier this year on the 0742 Colchester to London (but for me as only as far as Chelmsford).
The unit was 321365, and the coach 78149. Once the thing started rolling, it was utterly apparent that there was something very wrong, either with the trailing bogie or the drawbar. Every set of points, and every bump, there was a VERY heavy mechanical thump from under the coach, such as it could be felt through the floor.
As this train runs through Kelvedon at speed, I felt the need to brace myself against the structure just in case the crossovers made it jump off. Something was very wrong.
A few days later I saw this unit at Chelmsford (didn't get on it) and noticed that the BACKS of the wheel flanges were highly polished. Something very wrong in the bogie suspension or gauging of the wheelsets.
Horrid experience, and did lead me to think just how if a coach develops a fault like that, how does the driver know (It was 9 out of 12).

 

[SPADTrap]

Heres mine, earlier this year on the 0742 Colchester to London (but for me as only as far as Chelmsford).
The unit was 321365, and the coach 78149. Once the thing started rolling, it was utterly apparent that there was something very wrong, either with the trailing bogie or the drawbar. Every set of points, and every bump, there was a VERY heavy mechanical thump from under the coach, such as it could be felt through the floor.
As this train runs through Kelvedon at speed, I felt the need to brace myself against the structure just in case the crossovers made it jump off. Something was very wrong.
A few days later I saw this unit at Chelmsford (didn't get on it) and noticed that the BACKS of the wheel flanges were highly polished. Something very wrong in the bogie suspension or gauging of the wheelsets.
Horrid experience, and did lead me to think just how if a coach develops a fault like that, how does the driver know (It was 9 out of 12).

I guess it relies upon people noticing somethung being 'very wrong' and pulling the cord rather than bracing themselves at every set of points or sitting there like a sheep/lemon!! Utterly apparent but I'd wait till it came off to mention it to someone! :/ I do wonder sometimes.

 

[Harbornite]

I guess it relies upon people noticing somethung being 'very wrong' and pulling the cord rather than bracing themselves at every set of points or sitting there like a sheep/lemon!! Utterly apparent but I'd wait till it came off to mention it to someone! :/ I do wonder sometimes.

A la Eschede in 1998...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschede_derailment

 

[AlterEgo]

Taking a Pendo home, in the leading car, and passing Brandon on the WCML when the brakes went on hard. A few seconds later there was a horrible crunch and we bumped over something.

Fortunately it was a concrete slab.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I guess it relies upon people noticing somethung being 'very wrong' and pulling the cord rather than bracing themselves at every set of points or sitting there like a sheep/lemon!! Utterly apparent but I'd wait till it came off to mention it to someone! :/ I do wonder sometimes.

If I noticed something very wrong I'd pull the cord, I had to do it once and the driver was very appreciative but the grief I got from some of the passengers disgusted me when one coach on the train clearly ran over something that caused wobbling and shaking that was very heavy.

 

[Ianno87]

About a month ago I was on a TPE train from Manchester Piccadilly to Huddersfield. Just before entering Standedge Tunnel there was a 'thump' and I saw a window shatter further down the carriage (luckily the inner part of the window did not break, so no glass entered the carriage). The lady sitting there screamed, and the passengers at that table all got up. The train then came to a stop before the tunnel entrance, and the guard came to have a look.

The train later continued and the guard came on the tannoy to say it was probably kids throwing stones at trains. It continued to Hull where it was taken out of service.

I was once treated to the sight of a concrete block hurling towards my window, courtesy of the truanting oiks of Pitsea. Luckily it hit and shattered the window in front of mine, where nobody was sitting.

Or the bloke who nearly started a fight with me at Gillingham (Kent) when I wouldn't let him "borrow" my ticket to show the guard.

 

[Whistler40145]

TheEdge and I went to Sheerness on a train once. Never again.

I presume you weren't impressed with Sheerness?

 

[tim_lathe]

I guess it relies upon people noticing somethung being 'very wrong' and pulling the cord rather than bracing themselves at every set of points or sitting there like a sheep/lemon!! Utterly apparent but I'd wait till it came off to mention it to someone! :/ I do wonder sometimes.

The thing is, I am a trained mechanical engineer with extensive railway knowledge and I'm sitting in a coach doing this with about 30 London commuters who didn't even look up. Every knock and bang is an issue. To me it's wrong, the railway is a mechanical thing and I know what mechanical problems sound like.
If you pull the handle, every one else will hate you, all you do is grit your teeth and hope, and possibly pray. If you did do something, you would suffer words. I doubt the driver or conductor would care less - they're still on the rails so who cares.
That was last March. Now on the GEML we have an approximation of a scenic railway on the up around Chitts Hill LC, approaching Colchester, and the down is no better. Worse still, there is a MASSIVE track kink around new hall school approaching Chelmsford. All of this needs the tamper to pay a visit, but how do you complain?

 

[Ibex]

Two incidents stand out for me, the first was myself and 2 friends being robbed when we were 14, on a 455 by a gang whilst the train was waiting to leave Chessington South. Put a bit of a downer on a great day out at Chessington World of Adventures but the guard was absolutely fantastic and I'll never forget how kind she was.

The second time I remember, now it sounds nothing compared to the concrete slabs people have mentioned but scary nonetheless was a football being kicked at a 319 between Hendon and Cricklewood which made an almighty bang against the side of the carriage. Obviously the first instinct was bricks or something!