Hebden Bridge commuter stirs up Northern Rail?
Tuesday, 7 November 2017
A Facebook Group entitled Northern (Rail): Ruining People's Lives On A Daily Basis has been set up by frustrated commuter, Kate Anstee. Rail travellers are reporting that they are delighted to find a group where they can share frustrations, problems, information and to find they are not alone.
Group members have reported:
- "Stuck at Rochdale, someone didn't buy a ticket so the conductor rang the police so we've been waiting 25 minutes so far for the police to turn up and arrest him for not having a ticket. Now all the stops before Manchester are cancelled as a result. So they've halted our train and locked all the doors, and I'm presuming the trains due after this one may be affected too! All this because someone couldn't afford a ticket"
- "And I thought I was the only one"
- "Can we not take direct action ourselves and call for a passenger 'sit in' on a certain day?"
- "Last week, my train from Llittleborough to Manchester at 9.34 got delayed by half an hour with no explanation."
- "My regular morning commute from Bramley to Leeds... arrive at Bramley for 7:50 service. Can't get on because of overcrowding. The 7:57 is cancelled. The 8.04 is packed - only 2 passengers at Bramley manage to get on. This happened Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday last week and today! Couldn't get on the packed 8:35 either!"
- "Thank you for giving frustrated commuters a place to share info (and a chance to vent their frustration!)"
- "This morning, at Manchester Victoria, Northern were handing out 'Fixed Notice Penalties' to people who had queued to buy tickets at Victoria having not managed to buy one earlier - this based on their rule of buy before you ride. So despite years of buying tickets from pleasant conductors on the train, and being promised one this morning before the train got too crowded for the conductor to come back to me, I've got a fine and a formal Notice. 2 of these turn into a criminal prosecution!"
- "Leeds bound from Victoria, first train of the day, just 2 carriages again. So people at Bramley and New Pudsey won't be getting on again then."
- "As of 16.18 on Monday 6th November Northern Rail had 30 services running from Hebden Bridge to Manchester Victoria. Of these only 3 trains left Hebden Bridge and arrived at Manchester Victoria on time. From Manchester Victoria to Hebden Bridge they've run 50 trains of which 9 have left and arrived on time. Info as per live tracker on National Rail app."
- "8.16 to Leeds cancelled. What a great start to the day."
Northern told Manchester Evening News that "modernisation work is just beginning and there is some way to go, but by 2020 all Northern customers will have a rail service to be proud of and one which is fit for the 21st Century."
See also:
Facebook: Northern (Rail): Ruining People's Lives On A Daily Basis
Manchester Evening News: Commuter who claims rail services are ‘ruining people's lives’ sets up Facebook group for travellers (7 Nov 2017)