Hull trains cancelled, 3 trains' worth of passengers on one train

[xavierfondue]

DD (age 17) and her boyfriend (also 17) are trying to get to Edinburgh today to go to the festival. I dropped them off at the station with pre-booked tickets and she is sending me all these messages that:

a) the train is packed
b) they only just managed to get on
c) the passengers already on the train tried to stop them getting on [but fortunately they (surprisingly, where did this come from? I always thought they were so polite) threw a complete strop and barged their way on, probably rudely and aggressively but I'm actually quite proud of them]
d) No reservations on the train, so they were split up and had to stand in different places - the seats I'd booked were completely invalid
e) Only got seats (not together) at York
f) Apparently, as the title states, there are three trains' worth of passengers on one train.

HTF did this happen?

The kids were talking last night about going to Japan for a month next summer, after leaving school. I was all for saying no, you're too young, but after this I think I should let them go.

AIBU to think Virgin Trains are completely useless after they took over East Coast Trains? There are always delays (DH uses it everyday) and this is a bloody joke.

And to cap it all, Mumsnet only sent me my email on WEDNESDAY to say my account had been hacked. I only picked it up today.

Gin. Where is the bloody emocion for gin? Stuff the

They literally pack people on to trains in Tokyo like parcels into a van. But wearing clinically clean white gloves, and very politely.

Two young adults get on a crowded train and have to stand. For a bit.

Unless they have underlying health problems I can't see what the fuss is about I fail to see what the problem is or why the young woman feels the need to text her mother a blow by blow account or why the op is having a fit of the vapours.

It's all an elaborate ploy to make sure that your DD and boyfriend know what to expect when they turn up in Edinburgh at Festival time. They can be ready for the sheer exhaustion of trying to deal with faceless human hoards....

Or at least that it my theory.

many mornings the subway was so packed that my feet weren't touching the floor

Wait what? If you can levitate why did you even bother with the metro.

Truffle - Oh it wasn't levitation, it was being held in place by the crush of bodies all around me that yes I literally sometimes wouldn't have foot contact with the floor. I don't miss that bit.

One day, when we all have several hours, I'll tell you about the lovely journeys I've suffered through on Virgin trains on the West Coast line. Once, it took from 7pm to 5am to get home. I should have been home at 10:30pm. I got £20 vouchers in compensation for half of my return ticket. I had to take the day off work, because I'd had no sleep, and my job requires that I'm very alert, but no compensation for that.

Another time a trip on the West Coast line that should have taken just under 2 hours took 8 hours.

Both times I lost work.

Both times the Virgin TRain organisation was utterly utterly appalling. THeir employees couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. And overhearing some train staff on one of many replacement buses, the second delayed trip the 2 hour trip which took 8 hours the fault which held us up was known about at 5am that morning. But no replacement buses ready, no information, no plans in place.

Virgin TRains decided that my time (and that of hundreds of other passengers) was not worth the cost of replacement transport. I sent them a bill at my consultant rates, because I'd lost work, but they said they had no obligation to compensate me for more than the basic cost of my ticket.

Sounds grim. I sympathise, all my trains have been rammed today, combination of summer holidays and Friday afternoon plus a few problems across the network.

Just for future reference it is technically not permitted to 'start short' on an Advance ticket. If your dd and her bf were not travelling on Advance tickets then you usually can. I personally have no problem with it and don't know any guard who does BUT I remove seat reservations that are not being used, as do many guards, if the reservations were from Kings Cross and they started short you might find they would have been cancelled anyway.

I'm not mentioning the starting short issue to be that person but to just warn you that if you/your dd decide to complain you might find they refuse any compensation on the basis of ticket misuse. As I said if not an Advance ticket you're generally fine.

with a file in it for Boffin

totally outing myself here but I was born and raised in Hull and this thread is making me piss myself

I've been to Hull, and to Edinburgh. I've not been to Japan. I'm not imagining there are many similarties between the three though.

I expect they are politer in Japan, with less fried food.

I think that's an excellent reason to allow your 17 year old to go. I'm with you OP.

Railway I don't think that the Op's did was "starting short" - I think she just doesn't want the world to know that she lives in Stevenage. (Or wherever.)

Op - did you get married on a Monday? (I'm a date geek plus 21/08/2000 is a day that relates easily to another date that meant something to me.)

It Is very annoying when this happens but certainly not unusual.

And sometimes, I can understand it when passengers try to stop more people getting on. When a mainline or tube train is rammed to the point where it is almost impossible to fit anyone else in people will start shouting to wait for the next one. They don't know who has reservations, it's just panic and frustration talking. It is a finite space after all.

And I might let a 17 year old go to Japan alone but I'd be wary and want to be very, very involved with all the organisation

Gooo, there is a surprising amount of fried food in Japan, IME.

OnlyLovers. Oh. That is surprising.

No Japan trip then. Sorry OP.

Brian who does things to your Yoni lives in Hull.

Mmmmm tempura

I once lived in Hull, and Edinburgh and have visited Japan. Just thought I'd add that...

I'm a bit thick today too but having a laugh at the advert on my page...

Japan Rail Pass

I really feel for the OP - I have an autistic child and bought first class tickets for a recent journey as I knew the train would be busy..

train was 'declassified' - people came RUNNING into first class and then one man SHOUTED at me because my children were taking up two seats. And his apparent standard class need was greater than my first class ticket....

Ended up with one child on my lap, and one freaking out because of the crowds. He (the shouty man) shouted at my child.

NEVER NEVER EVER do this to an autism mum.

He won't. Ever again. ;-)

I got a train in Poland last week, someone was sat in my seat and refused to move, so I spent from 11pm to 7:20am in the corridor outside of the cabins, that was fun

Hull = grim.

Tokyo = fabulous.

In case that helps.

Sadly train travel does not bring out the best in people

I have not been to either Hull or Japan but did have lunch at yo sushi the other day. I did not travel by train to get to yo sushi though.

I've been to Hull for my sins, Edinburgh AND Japan.

I'm sure I've eaten fried food in all three places. I've only had eel in Japan though.

I wonder if BoffinMum has been arrested?