A tube-ing it story about... the tube!

Hmmmm...............may sit better in the rant area - anyway, all i'll say is this: there were one or two threads on the meaning of some of LUL's delay reasons - here's a prime example of 'passenger action'.

I remember reading a wonderful story about a load of commuters that staged a sit in on a train that was supposed to go through to Edgware on the northern, but for one reason or another, the train was turned short at Colindale. Passengers refused to get off, despite much coaxing from staff. Driver rings Control, and gets told in no uncertain terms "Move the train, you're crucifying the service". So, he takes the train load of commuters into the siding to cool off. 45 minutes later, he brings the train back out into the s/b road!!! The commuters soon got off for the next n/b! Must admit this must have happened a long time ago...

Once turned a train short at Northolt, and was tipping out, got this snotty type with briefcase etc, refused to get off. He was in the first car, so, after he refused, I said, we'll I'm going down the back to start shutting up the train. Passengers standing on platform. I gets back to the front, he's still sat there, clutching his briefcase. I again ask him if he's going to co-operate, only to be met with a polite refusal. Fine, no problems says I. I gets in the cab, opens up the train, and get on the radio. "Yeah, hullo guv, got someone refusing to get off the train". Three minutes later, SA x2 wanders along platform, with aim to coax gent off train. Service is up the wall already. He still refuses. One of SA makes an announcement, telling passengers on platform reason for delay. They all seemed to take notice and accept the problem. SA then tells pax get off or BTP will be called. He still refused. We'd been sat down for some 12 minutes, when one passenger boils over and shouts at the bloke "Get off the f****ng train". Still sat there. No punches were thrown, but I get asked why not haul him off "huh, and be done for assault" I retort. I think, oh sod this, boot the J door open and sit down in the seat, pouring a flask of tea. He casually glances over at me, listening to me slurping my tea a bit louder than usual. LC calls me and advises BTP on way, The bloke obviously heard the radio message, and starts fidgeting. I munch a packet of crisps, again, louder than normal, adding the occasional over exaggerated cough. Plod arrive and ask me what the bother is, I just look in the saloon, gesture my head in the direction of my difficult passenger. One officer says "I want you off this train NOW, or I will arrest you for obstruction" Bloke starts mumbling away about rubbish service, we get this every day etc. I contact LC to advise BTP in attendance, looks like we'll be on the move shortly. The police literally dragged the bloke off the train, and arrested him. I stand there looking and all he does is smirk at me, as if to say I've delayed your break. I get on the control and advise, pull into the siding, and shut down. I walk briskly through the train, and as soon as I open up, the controller is calling me. I answer and am advised more or less to get moving asap! Gets back to White City, and boy, am I glad to hang up my coat!

EDIT: Spelling corrections...

This story is detailed in "Rails Through the Clay" by Desmond F. Croome and Alan A. Jackson, published by Capital Transport in 1993. A very good book by the way.

The incident occurred on 5th April 1937 at 23:25 when a train was turned short at Colindale due to large gaps in the southbound service. This was due to a defective spring on a maintenance wagon breaking off a number of train stops earlier in the evening, and station to station working had been brought into operation causing delays.

Nice to know it was just as much fun back then! ;D ;D

Bits of train?

It's like that song 'I got it one bit at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime!'

Hmmm... I wonder if my wife would let me buy a tube car instead of a people carrier (well, it has got lots of seats). Where would my neighbour park his 'chavvy' Escort Cabrio then?

I'm not moaning about it. I quite enjoyed it. Its not something you see every day ;D

When I got home, I checked the TfL website to see if it would say "minor delays are occuring due to passenger action at Archway", nothing there. But there did seem to be a signal failure at Kennington, which I imagine would have crippled the service for the rush hour!!



I'm sorry, I meant to say after 15 minutes of the train arriving, that includes the time it must of taken for the driver to go down to the fifth car along closing the doors manually as he went along.

The SA took a hell of a long time to respond though. The driver whistled for help as soon as he could, and the SA comes down just as the trains ready to depart, 12-or-so minutes later

Its not unheard of that when a passenger refuses to leave a train which is trapping other trains behind for a prolonged time, to have station staff accompany the passenger on the train as it reverses via the siding, getting things on the move, and buying some time before the police arrives.

However a driver on the Northern line did that last year, after double confirming the instruction from the line controller (to make sure it was recorded) - didn't stop the driver from being 'hauled over the coals' for taking a passenger past a shunt signal.

I actually went so far as to check out the standard stock motor cars and control trailers when the IoW was scrapping them, with a view to saving one. Unfortunately, BR had stripped out and replaced all of the cab electrics and they no longer bore any resemblance to anything that I remembered on LT.