At Kings Cross, 11:33 Thursday 16th November 2023.
A 5-car Azuma came into the station “wrong way first” such that the wheelchair space carriage was at the Back, not the Front.
This meant insufficient space to use the ramp.
Instead of moving the train forward a few yards so I could get on, they told me I would have to catch the next train.
I don’t think so…
– [Doug] I’d booked the wheelchair space, tickets and assistance on this 5-car Azuma from King’s Cross to Leeds. When it arrived from the depot, it was the wrong way around. Normally, the coach with the wheelchair space would be at the buffers end, but it was on the other end this time.
I could see straight away that there was going to be a problem deploying the wheelchair ramp. [ramp rattling] [intercom echoing] [radio crackling] No, I can’t do it. There’s no way. – Amazing. This is the only wheelchair space on this one, though. – I know. – I’m gonna have to put you
On the next one. – [Doug] Please, can you get them to move the train down a bit? – Not possible. I couldn’t get them to do that. – [Doug] There’s no way that this train is leaving without me on it. – Oh, all right, cool. Let me see what I can do.
– [Doug] Thank you. I’m not waiting for the next one because it’s come in the wrong way around. [chuckling] – No, I know, I know. But I think you can understand it’s hard for me to tell the driver to move a whole train forward. – Why not? – What?
– Why not? – All right, cool. – [Doug] They’ve done it before. And that the train isn’t going anywhere until they do it again. – I’ll call my manager. We’ll see what she says. – Yeah. – I don’t mind. I would love for him to move the train forward for you, bro.
I don’t mind. – I’m going to phone Mike Ross right now. – Yeah, call him. – Yeah. – Hello? [staff faintly speaking] – [Doug] That guy is lovely, and I have totally no issues with him whatsoever. I do have issues that he’s not empowered to find solutions to these sort of things, though.
[upbeat music] – She says she’s gonna call me back. [Doug laughing] But I’ve mentioned, obviously, moving the train. Said, “It’s not that simple.” – [Doug] I know it’s not simple. However, also, it’s not simple moving me, and I’m not moving until I get on this train. – Has this happened before?
– Yes, that has happened, yeah. – [Doug] Call the police. – Do what you have to do, bro. Do what you have to do, bro. I’m not mad at you. I wish I could just put you on the train. I wish I could just tell the driver to move the train for you.
It’s unfortunate. – Yeah. – It’s one of them things that’s just, you have to see it. I’ve been here 10 years. Something like this has never happened. – Yeah. – Like, this is actually- – Happened to me before. – Okay. [Doug laughing] – [Doug] And in the end, they moved the train.
– Fair enough. Well, my manager’s gonna call back, and then they’ll call us back, and they’ll tell me what’s good. – [Doug] Okay, it’s going to be a security situation because I’m not moving. – All right. You gotta be somewhere for a certain time?
– [Doug] Yeah, but also I booked this train, you know? – It’s the principle of it. Yeah, it’s the principle of the whole thing. I hear you. Why did it even come in reverse in the first place? Oh my goodness. [announcement echoing] – [Doug] Richard, I’ve got a major problem.
Please, can you help? I’m at King’s Cross. It’s a 5-car, and it’s come in the wrong way around. And the wheelchair space, there’s not enough space on the width of the platform for the ramp. So they’ve told me that I’ve got to catch a later train,
And I’ve said I’m not moving, and I’m blocking the train. Platform five. Thank you. – All right, cool. – [Doug] Cheers. – Doug, they’re sorting it. They’re sorting it. – They’re moving it? – Yep. – Thank you. – I’ve never seen this done in history by the way.
I didn’t even know this was possible. [upbeat music] – [Bystander] What happened? Good on you, good on you. – Good on you. – Good on you. – Thank you very much. [Doug laughing] He said “Good on you.” – [Mike] I made it absolutely and completely
Clear with him that it was not his fault at all. – [Doug] Yeah. [upbeat music] – So the driver agreed to do it, but the guard doesn’t want do it. I think they’re kind of arguing about it. – [Doug] They’re not gonna dispatch it until I get on it.
– [Radio] Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, absolutely. – [Driver] Hey, they aren’t going to move it. Don’t worry about that. – Oh, thank you. – Don’t worry about that. – Thank you very much. – [Driver] Listen, I’ve got agreement off the box to move it so you can get on.
– Thank you. – I dunno what the issue about it at the back though. – Oh, thank you. – So just stay away from the edge. – Yeah, yeah. – I’ve rang box and told them we’re gonna move five foot so you can get on,
So don’t worry about that. – Thanks for that, I appreciate it. – No idea why- – Solidarity. – No, it’s all right. The thing is, is when they safety check these trains, they safety checked them, ’cause it’s the wrong way around, so your first class should be down there.
And I’ve just said to him this needs highlighting but if they’re other way around, there needs to be a different stopping position for the them obviously. – [Doug] Yeah, I’ve been onto senior management. I’m on the access panel and know quite a few people further up than, yeah.
– [Driver] Yeah, I don’t know why she’s being funny about it. All she’s gotta do is shut doors. I’ll pull forward five foot and then that’s it. – [Doug] How much should they charge per minute a dwell in Kings Cross? – [Driver] I think it’s 75 pound a minute over.
– So 75 pounds a minute? – Something like that, yeah. I think that’s if you’re just occupying a platform. If you start knocking delays on other trains, obviously, all that comes in as well. I don’t know what’s up, I don’t know why she’s not wanting to move it.
– [Doug] I dunno, I’ve got senior management coming down also. – [Driver] It’s ultimately, like for me, I’m happy to move it. If she’s not willing to close the doors, I can’t move it. – [Doug] Excellent driver. Full respect to him. – [Driver] This chap looks like he knows what he’s doing.
– [Doug] Hello, thank you for this. – How are you doing? Are you all right? I’m so sorry about this. – [Doug] Yeah, it’s alright. – I can’t get you on board, I’m afraid. – [Doug] Well, it’s not moving until it does.
– What we’ll do is we don’t need to call the police, but I can get you some alternative transport. – Don’t mind if I do. – [indistinct] if I can. – [Doug] I’ll catch that. – [Richard] Well, I can’t get you on, okay? – [Doug] Well, it’s not going then.
– It’s down to the train manager at the end of the day, and they’re refusing. – If, it’s not moving. – We can’t move the train. – [Doug] Well, change the train manager or something. The driver’s happy. These people are happy. – What do you have?
– [Doug] It’s not moving until I get on it. – Would it be possible I saw what happened just down here but if we do get to the position where the ramp goes up before the ramp goes down to see where it comes in from-
– [Doug] Oh, I’m happy to give it a try. – Can you try and give it a go? – [Doug] I’ll give it a go but I don’t think we will. – Can you stop at the door, so we can get the ramp to you?
– [Staff] We can try at least, can’t we? – [Doug] But either way, if I don’t get on, you’re gonna have to call the police to evacuate me. – Well, I’ll do what I need to do. I’m just saying I can’t make the train manager take you if they’re refusing.
– [Doug] Swap the train manager. – I can’t really do that but- – [Doug] But [indistinct] I’m not joking, either. – I’ll do what I can, I promise. – Get rid of the door. – [unclear] – i literally can’t if… I can’t remove the train manager and I can’t get at her.
– [Doug] You also can’t get the train to move if I’m blocking this path. – We’ll sort it out for you. If I need to get you a taxi. – [Doug] Sort it out by getting me on the train. – If I can’t get on the train, Doug, cos I can’t…
At the end of the day- – [Doug] If you can’t get me on the train, the train’s not moving. – It would have to be we abide what the train manager says on it. – [Doug] If you can’t get me on the train, the whole train will be cancelled.
– There’s no need for it to cancel the train. I can get you on the next- – There’s no need, yeah. You can get me on now. – I can get you on the next available- – [Doug] No, no. I’m catching this one. I booked on it, the wheelchair space is available,
All it takes is moving it a few feet. Why won’t the conductor move it? – I’m not able to. It’s her call at the end of the day. It’s her train. – [Doug] Yeah, so tough. It’s LNER’s problem, not mine. I’m not moving. – I can help you get to Harrogate
With the minimum of delay by an alternative method – No. – if I need to. – [Doug] No, I’m on this train or this train isn’t moving. – Right, Doug, we’ve got options. Yeah, we can do- – [Doug] The option is to get me on the train.
– If I can’t get you on the train, Doug, we’re gonna have to work together to find something else. – [Doug] No, no, no. – At the end of the day, I can’t just – Not my problem. – I can’t hold the train. – [Doug] You can’t, I can.
– You can’t. – I can? – Well, in that case, I’m going to have to contact the police which obviously, I don’t want to do. – [Doug] Do call the police. – There’s no need to. – [Doug] There is because I’m not letting this train move. Call the police, please, Richard.
– I’m not gonna call the police. Let’s see if we can resolve it first. – [Doug] I’m not changing position. So the only way this is gonna be resolved is me getting on that train, so call the police- – If I can’t get you on, Doug,
Then I can’t get you on. – Yeah, call the police. – Okay, I’ll do what I can for you, but at the end of the day, if I literally can’t get you on the train then- – [Doug] Then the train’s not moving. It’s not moving. – [Driver] I know you booked in first.
Is it a compromise for getting you one in standard and making sure you get first class service brought to you? – [Doug] It’s the only wheelchair space. There’s no wheelchair space in standard. 5-cars, this is the only wheelchair space. – Shit, yeah. Okay, I’m used to 9 and 10 cars. Sorry.
I’m gonna say if that were an option, we could’ve got you down there and brought service to you, you know? – [Doug] I would’ve been happy with that. But the only way I can get on is through that door. – [Driver] Is through this door? Can I move it now? – Yeah,
We’re just gonna lock the doors, give you six on the buzzer, I’ll stop you, we open the doors, get the passenger on, then we’re gonna do a normal dispatch as the train leaves. – All right, all right. – Thank you. – I’m gonna ring box again. – I don’t know why
They couldn’t have done it 20 minutes ago. – [Staff] Yeah, just ring box again. – [Doug] Thank you very much. I thought that wasn’t possible. [laughs] – The train manager initially told me that she won’t [indistinct]. – [Doug] Did she give a reason for her refusal?
– She actually had a conversation with her colleagues before I turned up so- – [Doug] So it’s somebody higher up? – Yeah, I dunno who she’s spoken to, but, you know, if they are prepared to do it, then that’s what I’ll do. – [Doug] Yeah, it’s the only way
To not cause a bigger operational incident. It’s happened before. Why were they making it my problem? – No, just, I don’t know, I’d need to have the conversation with the train manager properly. – [Doug] Yeah, I could imagine it will be an incident investigation. I’ll certainly be taking like significant action
Through David Horne. [chuckles] Why was that so difficult? Okay, thank you very much. – You’re finally in, bro. – Thank you. – No worries, bro. Safe journey. – Cheers. [Doug laughing] [Mike faintly speaking] They could’ve done that 20 minutes ago. [upbeat music]