Train ‘packed like sardine tin’
Friday 26th February 2010, 2:59PM GMT.
Commuters crammed on to a Telford to Birmingham train service dubbed the “sardine express” are fainting due to severe overcrowding, it was claimed today.
Louise Jenner, from Wellington, said she had to be brought round by other passengers after passing out while travelling on the service from Telford to Wolverhampton.
She claimed today it was not an isolated case and called for service providers Arriva Trains Wales to put more carriages and staff in place before someone was seriously injured.
The service has been dubbed the “sardine express” by Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, who has also called on Arriva bosses to do something about the overcrowding on its services.
He said today: “Given the high level of public subsidy Arriva Trains Wales receives from the taxpayer, there is no excuse for endangering passengers.”
Arriva Trains Wales spokeswoman Katrina Tzannis said the cancellation of a London train on the day Mrs Jenner collapsed made the Shrewsbury to Birmingham International train she was on more crowded than normal.
She said “rigorous measures” were in place to monitor overcrowding and claimed Arriva had added 650 additional seats on the Shrewsbury to Birmingham route since December 2008.
“Discussions with the Department for Transport regarding the provision of further capacity for peak time are currently taking place. We were not aware of Mrs Jenner’s complaint but we would be happy to meet with her or Mr Pritchard to discuss things further.”
Mrs Jenner said the incident happened on Tuesday after she got on at Wellington.
She said: “I ended up standing in the middle of the carriage like a sardine – the train then stopped at Telford and even more people got on, making conditions unbearable.
“I began to feel hot and very sick but I couldn’t move anywhere because of the crowded gangway. It got worse and worse until I started feeling dizzy.
“At this point I knew I was going to faint so I quickly asked a lady if I could sit down just at the moment I blacked out.”
Mrs Jenner said there were no Arriva staff in sight.
By Wayne Beese
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I dispute the comment made by the Arriva spokesworman. I was one of the sardines on that train! The train was crowded due to the fact that only two carriages were in operation rather than the four they should carry. The Arriva train is often cut short and is dirty. We need a change of franchise on that route.
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Ask any member of the traincrew what is the maximum number of passengers allowed travel on the train and they won’t be able to answer you because there is no set limit. The decision as to wether there are too many passengers or not is left to the conductors discretion. That way, sure there be an accident, the conductor will be deemed liable, not the train operating company. I know this, because I am a member of traincrew.
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Trains on this line have been unacceptably overcrowded for years, particularly at rush hour. I remember looking up at the ceiling and remarking to a fellow sardine that the nozzles aboue our heads looked like where the olive oil/tomato sauce would be coming in from to complete the sardine can look.
On at least one occasion a driver at Wolverhampton refused to take a spectacularly overcrowded train to Telford – passengers went home in taxis.
I worry how safe these overcrowded trains would be in case of accident.
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Arriva Trains Wales are full of proverbial. I’ve encountered the overcrowding issue many, many, many times. ATW is not interested in its customers, their well-being or safety.
It’s time they were sacked and another firm got the franchise.
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It’s all about making as much profit for as little outlay as possible.
You the paying do not matter other than paying your money.
Again I am sorry to say it but you ALL moan but you all DO nothing about it.
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This train service has always been made. Arriva have a cheek charging a fare when you can barely even move on the train. If that train crashed how would anyone stand a chance of getting out
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As with most things in this country. Nothing will be done until there is a major accident and lifes are lost.
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It is really important that disatisfied passengers DO contact Arriva if they have an unsatisfactory journey (overcrowding/delay/poor quality rolling stock). The Arriva Trains Wales MD is Tim Bell and the address is:
Arriva Trains Wales, St Mary’s House, 47 Penarth Rd, Cardiff CF10 5DJ
Passengers could also write to Passenger Focus and Lord Adonis (Minister of Transport) at the House of Commons. The only way to improve services is to complain.
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The comment from Katrina Tzannis is absolute tosh, she is well aware of the historic problem of the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton train. Even the drivers call it the sardine express…
This problem has been going on for years. I challenge Katrina to admit the truth….She is also well aware that the Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street train is a disgrace…
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http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2691/4390548393_e0a5432e0f_o.jpg
A photo I took whilst on the 7.51am train from Telford on Tuesday.
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I agree with Sandy of Wellington here, if there are no health and safety regulations regarding passengers on carriages then there should be.
I’ve been crammed in like this before, hence I no longer use rail transport and now drive instead.
If you pay an extortionate price for a seat, you should get one!
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Yes, the overcrowding on these trains is unacceptable, but before castigating solely Arriva, here are a few facts. Of which the local politicians and MPs should be well aware.
Firstly, there is no legal obligation to limit the number of passengers on a train – unlike planes and coaches. Perhaps the (next) Government needs to review this, but how can it be enforced when 99% of rail services in the UK are run on a ‘turn up and board’ basis?
Secondly, Arriva’s franchise on this route is primarily to provide train services for the Welsh population into the West Midlands, NOT to provide commuter services for Shropshire. That franchise, and responsibility, belongs to London Midland.
However, as those of us who have used the services know, the Arriva trains being a ‘limited stop’ service and around 15 to 20 minutes quicker from Shrewsbury to Birmingham, are the ones which are overwhelmingly popular with the commuters.
The answer is not to go after Arriva, it is to get the London Midland franchise reviewed so that LM have to provide at least two, possibly three, extra trains in each rush hour which follow the ‘limited stop’ pattern and are timetabled just a fwe minutes before the Arriva services from Wales.
Those will ‘at a stroke’ remove the overcrowding and leave Arriva to primarily serve its Welsh patrons (its subsidy comes from the Welsh government in any case) and London Midland with its nice new trains to provide a proper service for its (large) subsidy to run the commuter services between Birmingham & Shrewsbury.
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Bill Graham for PM!
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i am a strapping lad, fit as a fiddle, and yet even i have come close to feinting on this train, its a major risk to public safety and it needs more carriages even if this means it cant stop in minor stations the platform at telford shrewsbury wolverhampton and new st are all big enough for long trains and this is urgent danger to life and limb
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On the other side If anyone had fainted they would proberly remained standing and not hurt themselves hitting the floor thus stopping a large claim against the train company, method in their madness
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H.St John Peasbody is absolutely correct. Arriva Wales put profit before people every time. Cattle shouldn’t have to pay. A member of staff was nowhere near the unfortunate lady because they would have been unable to get to her, let alone check tickets which a large percentage of passengers did not purchase knowing that this is always the train from Hell.I have written confirmation from an Arriva public relations representative that they prefer trains to be tightly packed so that in the event of a crash, the occupants are less likely to be thrown about the carriage. So don’t bother with the Health and Safety argument.If you want to experience a properly run train operator, then use Wrexham and Shropshire, who follow the successful German model.
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Unfortunately, you don’t actually pay for the seat, you pay to travel between set stations.
The seats are supplied as an extra to enable some passengers to sit down, once again they have got you by the short and curlies. Trust me, I know what I am talking about. Incidentally, should you pay for a reservation, you are still relying on traincrew or platform staff to put the labels on, and should your service of choice be cancelled, tough !
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Well said Bill Graham. At last a man with a sensible and truthful comment. London Midland do not have any ‘limited stop’ trains any more from Shrewsbury to Birmingham. It would help the overcrowding greatly if a London Midland service ran 10 minutes ahead or 10 minutes behind the ATW service and ran non-stop Telford to Wolverhampton to New Street. By running them close together it means the customers do not have to alter their commute times too much.
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Have any of you used the London underground now there is packing them in, with hardly a whimper of complaint.
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I agree with the vast majority, Arriva do nothing but try to maximise profit. The service is a disgrace, particularly having regard to the condition of the carriages and standard of the service (lack of carriages etc). I have found my particular train (7.31 to New st) reliable in terms of usually not being too delayed. Thats the only thing i can positively say. they smell, they are falling apart, part trains regularly breakdown, they are either way too hot or too cold.
I can remember the incident above with this lady collapsing, i was sat down in the same carriage.
The government must increase competition, its the only way to rid this line of this substandard service.
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I commute to Wolverhampton from Shifnal every morning and back again at night.
The service does need great attention. Especially when only two carriages are on! I find the morning train at 7.39 from Shifnal normally has a lot of spaces but by the time we get to Codsall there are people having to stand up packed in. However the worst train is at 5.25 from Wolves back to Shifnal/Shrewsbury. Always have to stand, most of the time packed in like ‘sardines’, if you dont get on this one to stop at the smaller stations you have to wait another hour. This has happened before to a group of us as we werent ‘pushy’ enough to barge on in like some people and ended up having the doors closed on us as there was physically not a single space left standing. I have also seen people have to get off at a station before their desired stop as they have got too hot and flustered! Even people unable to get off at their stop as there is no space for people to move out the door! In this day and age this is not good enough! Especially when they are busy talking about a faster London journey-sort out the ones that are already in use first!!!! I do sometimes worry that if there is ever an accident/ break down no one would be able to get out and a lot of people would be injured.
Rant over now, looking forward to the journey tonight!
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I have travelled via Arriva, LondonMidland and WSMR. This may sound strong, but I despise Arriva with a passion. It’s not the people that we see that I feel so angry about, but the way the people at their HQ conduct their business and make us good paying customers feel so wanted….NOT!
I know what it’s like being packed in tight spaces on Arriva trains with a partner and baby and it’s a painful experience. Next General Election, I’m voting for “GET ARRIVA OUT OF SHROPSHIRE!”
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It is unlikely that LM will be able to take over from Arriva as LM are making people redundant, people such as ticket barrier staff and assisstant ticket collectors. I have been told by a staff member the figure was 100+! LM also promised under their franchise to put limiters on their trains to stop overcrowding, has this been done?
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The overcrowding is bad enough when your doing the commuter stretch but as a student at Aberystwyth I have spent several trips in the gangway between the carriages sometimes the whole way due to the overcrowding especially at the beginning and end of term, and having already spent 6 hours travelling Arriva CrossCountry from Penzance (usually crowded Bristol – Birmingham) it’s not pleasant. I think the worst experience was going home for Christmas one year with a train already crowded upon departure from Aberystwyth and with Christmas Shoppers heading to Birmingham joining the train in the West Midlands the train became a living hell on the stretch between Shrewsbury & New Street. The route desperately needs more carriages as the university here proves more popular, the Aberystwyth train is only going to end up getting worse and worse and I can see more instances of standing in the gangway for three hours in the future.
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