Crazy Train!

We've been having some real fun and games on the 1751 from Euston recently.  That train is made up of a 4-car and an 8-car unit.  The 4-car comes onto platform 13 empty around 1730 and the 8-car is the 1738 arrival from Tring.  The two units couple up to make a 12-car semi-fast train to Northampton.

We've been boarding the 1751 on platform 13 for what must be 5-6 weeks without any problems.  Passengers accept that the doors have to be locked for a minute or two while the two sets of carriages are coupled up, but anyone boarding before that operation was just expected to stay safely sat down.

Three weeks ago everything changed.  Passengers boarding the 8-car unit after it had pulled in and before the coupling operation had taken place heard an onboard announcement asking them to get off.  Anyone spotted by the driver or guard remaining on the train was escorted off.  I didn't see it, but I'm told that at the end of the platform nearest the ramp there was actually a police officer (or a PCSO) instructing them not to board.  The reason given is 'health & safety'.

According to @londonmidland (Twitter) there is nothing in the rule book that says that passengers cannot be on a train while it couples.  This is a normal operation that takes place several times a day across the network, and as long as people are sensible and sit down there shouldn't be a problem.  Someone at Euston seems to think differently, and to date the message doesn't appear to have got through...

This week has been particularly interesting.  On Wednesday and Thursday the doors were locked before we had the onboard announcement asking us to get off.  On Friday we had the same followed by an announcement asking us to sit down! 

London Midland have promised to get this sorted, but in the meantime I'm associating the 1751 with Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train"  ;-)



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