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Arriva Trains Wales
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
My bf and I had open return tickets as we were told there would be trains running all night.
Got to Cardiff station at 9.30pm before the other 70,000 people at the Noise and Confusion concert, where we were told there were no trains, get on a coach to Newport. Got there and get told theres no trains. Phoned National Rail who advised us to return to Cardiff as it was their responsibility to provide alternate transport instead of shipping us all to another (closed) station.
Once back at Cardiff the most rude and arrogant wanker tells us its tough shit. While we were being sent to Newport and back, everyone had come out of the concert and piled into the last train to Swansea. It was so full that people were suffocating and jumping out of the train, walking along the tracks etc. Hence, we werent exactly a priority. We'd bumped into 4 other guys from up here by this point and they let us stay in the waiting room.
My bf, whos on crutches and I, wwnt to find accommodation but none anywhere. So we returned to the station and got locked in all night. It was freezing cold and not even a vending machine to get a warm drink.
Got on a train at 8.35am to Hereford, then had to get a coach to Shrewsbury. Only that was full so we had to wait for taxis to come for us. Finally got a train back to Chester and arrived at 1.30pm the next day.
Absolute shite.
Got to Cardiff station at 9.30pm before the other 70,000 people at the Noise and Confusion concert, where we were told there were no trains, get on a coach to Newport. Got there and get told theres no trains. Phoned National Rail who advised us to return to Cardiff as it was their responsibility to provide alternate transport instead of shipping us all to another (closed) station.
Once back at Cardiff the most rude and arrogant wanker tells us its tough shit. While we were being sent to Newport and back, everyone had come out of the concert and piled into the last train to Swansea. It was so full that people were suffocating and jumping out of the train, walking along the tracks etc. Hence, we werent exactly a priority. We'd bumped into 4 other guys from up here by this point and they let us stay in the waiting room.
My bf, whos on crutches and I, wwnt to find accommodation but none anywhere. So we returned to the station and got locked in all night. It was freezing cold and not even a vending machine to get a warm drink.
Got on a train at 8.35am to Hereford, then had to get a coach to Shrewsbury. Only that was full so we had to wait for taxis to come for us. Finally got a train back to Chester and arrived at 1.30pm the next day.
Absolute shite.
Post edited by JustV on
0
Comments
Little sympathy, really. Though if a timetabled service fails to turn up, or is too full, it is the TOC's responsibility to get you home.
If a trainw as advertised and did not run, then you are entitled to compensation. The TOC did not discharge its responsibility, and as such you can get money for that.
If they weren't advertised, and you went on hearsay, then tough titties.
We didnt need to check the timetable because we had no idea when it'd be finishing, but we checked when we bought the tickets that trains would be running until late.
At 9.30pm when we got there they had 'maintenance' on the lines, no trains. Yet at 10.45pm they let so many people get on the swansea train that people were jumping out of it, which caused the train to emergency stop.
Kermit-not looking for and wouldnt expect sympathy from you. Simply writing my experience to warn others when using the service.
http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/en/out/index.php?subnavID=212
They knew how busy it was going to be.
The simple fact of the matter is- always check before you travel. Then you know where you stand with station staff and NRES.
Yeah, queue control is in force at Central. Doesn't mean that any extra trains were scheduled that night...
What day was this? I might ask around, see if there were supposed to be extra trains, just because I'm nosy.
It was saturday night.
Yes, if theres a blockage on the line then they have to provide transport for you to the next station- but the next station was closed, which they knew.
I suspect that there wasn't an advertised connection, which is unfortunate but not the TOC's fault.
As I say, you should always check beforehand, get the station to print off a list of available trains- then if they don't turn up, you have something to make people listen with.
If you're wanting to be somewhere late, then yeah :yes:
As for the Swansea train, this is probably a more accurate report.