to think everyone knows you don't flush train toilets whilst train is standing in a station?

[ReignBeauDash]

I've had to get multiple long distance trains this last week and on several journeys have had to stand in corridors near the toilets as it's been so busy. For various reasons I've not really used trains in about 20 years!

I honestly thought it was common knowledge that you don't flush train toilets whilst at a station? Or has that changed in the last 20 years?

It's like people are actually waiting for the train to stop moving to get out of their seats and head for the loo - over and over at station after station

Someone will come and tell me now that trains have tanks for sewage these days so it doesn't matter, won't they. Off to actually google it!

This used to be the case where there was no waste tank so all waste would empty out on to the track. Nowadays most trains have tanks so it doesn’t matter.

They have tanks now. You don’t see piles of turds and toilet paper on the lines do you? 😁

You can now it goes in a tank.

A lot of them do, yes!

What you think it all just goes out on to the track?! Er yes think it's changed, we moved on in 20 years...

Oh, like a large caravan toilet

I thought this story was going to be that the train was delayed because of people doing this or that it caused some sort of significant problem?

But people did it and nothing happened?

Times have definitely changed.

There were some old stock between Manchester and Cardiff a few years ago that still dumped on the track. The toilets locked when the train stopped, im not sure what happened if you were inside!

Now I've googled it, apparently about 25% of trains still do dump the sewage onto the tracks even though it was meant to be banned a couple of years ago.

As a child it was absolutely drummed into me that you never flush at a station!

Never heard this in my life. Surely you just go when you want to.

It's not an issue nowadays, which is why there are no longer signs in train toilets asking you not to flush in a station. I think it's a long time since waste water and sewage were discharged directly onto the track.

I flushed the loo at on a pendolino last week at Preston station. A girl was hovering outside looking strangely at me. Now I know it was you OP! It has a tank.

One could never describe me as a girl 😅 I'm old enough to remember it being absolutely not allowed to flush train toilets in stations for a start! There used to be signs and everything!

You have cheered me up by reminding me of the song: "All passengers will please refrain from flushing toilets while the train is standing in the station, la la la. While the train is in the station, we encourage constipation. . ." (I don't remember the rest of the words, alas.) 😀

@ReignBeauDash I didn't know it had changed either! Not just you. :-)

Yes, there used to be signs saying not to, but nowadays it goes into a chemical tank.

If you can find a train toilet that is a. vacant and b. functional, use it while you can!

Does the contents really just go on the line? And just stay there? That's gross!

Someone told me airline's freeze it and dump it and sometimes it crashes into people's houses if they live on a flight path - I took that with a pinch of salt but now I know this I'm wondering..

On some lines that use older trains, yep, that is still what happens 🤢

ReignBeauDash 😡who decided that was a good idea?!

Lol. That's exactly what I'm thinking of. Although in my version it was 'If gentlemen could please refrain...' I learned the tune as an early piano piece and my grandma told me those were the words.
Ooh takes me back!

I did think all had tanks now but apparently not on Merseyrail. Mingers

@KindlyKanga I don’t think they do drop it on purpose, it gets dealt with when the plane lands. However, it has happened by accident before 🤣

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-58968692.amp

I'm on one of these lines too!!