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

When I lived on the west coast, I once went to Hull and back in a day.

People are unable to get to Hull. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Though I do feel sorry for anyone trying to get to somewhere interesting such as Edinburgh or to visit family.

DH is currently stuck in Doncaster as three east coast trains in a row AND I used to live in Tokyo and get the underground everyday.

So I declare myself train expert on all fronts.

Sure two able bodied teenagers can cope standing up for a bit?

Three east coast trains have been CANCELLED in a row I mean. Train expert but typing is questionable.

I have been to Hull (terrifying bridge) and Edinburgh but not Japan. I dislike fried food.

It's a cake with A FILE IN IT for prisoners!!

Cake with razor blades in it is what bad bad people do to trick or treaters at Halloween!!!!

Do not kill Boffinmum when she's incarcerated.

And also

They'd be a hell of a lot safer in Japan for a month than Hull for a day

Well that was disappointing. The ticket inspector clearly pretended to dial the police on his mobile and wandered off to the next carriage but nothing happened. No rozzers waiting for me at Cambridge, nuffink. Anyone would think a £5.90 inadvertent fare shortfall on a £42.90 ticket was a minor affair!!!

Seriously though, why bully people with threats of police over something so acutely trivial? Why not say instead 'Madam, I will let you off this time but next time please be sure to buy the right ticket'. Why go through the police pantomime? And why attempt to bully me into publicly giving my name and address?

Anyway, once three inspectors had already said my ticket was ok for travel on that route, he didn't have a leg to stand on as legally you can use the ticket to travel in this circumstance. He must have known that.

DH is relieved I have stayed out of trouble.

Iamatotalandutteridiot that must have been horrible - I really feel for you!
I normally book us into first class for the same reason as you and I had no idea that it could be declassified. DS would really struggle in that kind of situation.

Did I tell you lot about the time Ryanair tried to have me arrested?

"Staff at kings cross I find are usually more than helpful"

Really?

Last Fri I was stuck there, no idea why but loads of trains were cancelled, no information on why (though plenty of tannoys telling me 'it is not permitted to skateboard....') and none of the staff could even be arsed to answer my questions because I had a GN ticket, not a Virgin ticket. I didn't find a single helpful one.

I eventually got a train due to leave an hour later than my usual one, which in turn left 25 mins late.
I still have no idea why the trains were all cancelled. The only thing I do know is that Virgin were not transferring tickets, nor were they allowing people to pay upgrades, nor selling tickets at their desks, KX was packed and the queues for the ticket machines were out the doors.

Helpful they were not.

Last night a friend of mine was stuck on a stationary East Coast train from Edin for several hours, I suspect whatever caused that was the same as has caused the problems today as well.

Anyone else looking forward to the Tube strikes next week....? No? Sigh.

Do you mean Cordell Hull? Not sure how he's thought of in Japan to be honest.

I like hull

Boffin was it because your hand luggage was too heavy?

Or maybe because you wanted then to divert the flight to Hull?

I have to agree that the East Coast line has been a bloody joke since Virgin took over. every Single journey ive been on seat reservations haven't been valid.

And apparantly I had the wrong sort of first class ticket and wasn't allowed in the first class lounge at Kings X the other month!

Does Prescott live in hull?

Prescott? Not sure, pretty certain Branson doesn't though.

Hull has chip spice. Bet they don't have that in Edinburgh.

I love this thread. Shame about the Hull trains though.

It will be good practice for them. rush hour trains in japan make rush hour on the tube look like the bluebell railway

What the heck is chip spice? In Edinburgh they have a disgusting concoction called salt n sauce which they put on chips.

I'm glad you asked. So I was popping over to Dublin for the day for work purposes. It was just after they had invented online check-in, which in those days have you free speedy boarding. Going out I was able to check in online very easily, and print my boarding pass. Coming back their system crashed as I was completing the process and I was not able to print off a boarding pass as their website wouldn't let me. No worries, I thought. They will know about this and I won't be the only person with the problem.

At the airport they told me they didn't have any computers and knew nothing about it, and they had invented a new fine that day for such an eventuality.

Bollocks to that, said I. If it ain't on the contract I ain't paying it. We then had a 20 minute Mexican standoff at the check in desk, with Marguerite the miserable cow refusing to let me fly. I am vair patient so I asked her to fetch a supervisor and then just stood there looking at her in a bored but teacher like manner while she checked in all the other people. She then suddenly announced 'you have taken a picture of me with your phone!' This was before smartphones and I didn't have a camera phone in those days, so a bizarre claim. She then contacted the police who made me do a walk of shame across the airport. They then asked me if I had, and I pointed out I didn't have a camera on my phone. They sighed heavily and said 'they are always doing this, we recommend you don't fly Ryanair'. I then went back and coughed up the 10 euros in small change and insisted on a receipt and that Marguerite wrote down her name on it so I could complain formally.

When I got home I took Ryanair to the Dublin Small Claims Court and won the fine back and costs!!!!

Oh yes.

metro.co.uk/2013/11/20/9-reasons-you-should-move-to-hull-immediately-4194392/

It's number two on this list.

It's essentially a major component of every drunken foodstuff I've eaten.

Chip spice,,,,,clue is n the name - it's spice that you put in your chips!

Our village chippy now has it. It's mainly a Hull delicacy but I think is spreading.

Boffin you rock

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