QPR train crisis, all Euston services suspended!!

[blu4life]

We were on the 10.55 train. We were told at Rugby about the Wembley problem and originally told we'd be delayed by an hour. Nearly two hours later, we were STILL at Rugby, being told we either had to go to Milton Keynes, find another way to London or go home.
From MK, we had to get a coach to Luton Airport and then a train to St. Pancras. Got to Loftus Road about five minutes into the game!

Then on the way back everyone was told there were no trains back to Manchester so some people got on trains to Birmingham etc to try and get trains from there.
All of a sudden, the original 20.20 to Piccadilly appeared on the big screen- 'Platform 6'. Everyone ran to Platform 6 to get the train before the PA announced it was actually leaving from Platform 14.
Que everyone sprinting from Platform 6 round to 14! Was actually quite funny, all the foreigners looked bemused! Anyway, eventually this train left about 9 o clock and we got into Manchester about 11.20.

 

[stimo]

should refund all tickets that weren't activated!

 

[Gingers Dad]

should refund all tickets that weren't activated!

Definitely. Only because I left ours on the 12.35 after we jumped off at Nuneaton to get the train to Leicester. Got to the ground after kick off and had to buy 4 tickets. Couldn't really afford it but wasn't going to miss the match after the journey we'd had.

 

[Regular Joe]

If it's any consolation to those who had a nightmare on the trains yesterday I'm on Reddish Blues coach with 20 others and we still haven't made it back to Manchester yet, 15 hours after leaving QPR.

Our bus broke down on the M40 near Oxford. Various recovery men can out but couldn't fix the fanbelt problem. A replacement bus was going to come and get us but for some reason that didn't happen either. About 1am they decided to put us up in a Travelodge, 2 to a room, double beds only. Some people seemed happier than others about their enforced bedmate.

We're on the road again now in another bus, just approaching Stafford.

 

[Manchester la la la la]

What a nightmare that was.

Meant to be on the 12-15 which was suddenly cancelled, so we got the 11-55 (I think?) which got to Rugby before stopping. This was at about half 2 before we jumped on a slow train that stopped at Watford, got to Watford for about 5 with no option but for the 8 of us to jump in a mini-bus and pay a tenner each to get to the game.

Still didnt get in til about the 31'st minute, then almost immediately after I'd took my place QPR scored, and I was thinking it was going to be one of those crap away trips haha.

Got back to Euston OK, just missed the Preston bound train that was stopping at Warrington and Crewe, so decided to get one to Birmingham and get the last train to Manchester. With only having a 5 minute gap to spare between train transfers we were risking being stranded in Birmingham overnight, but fortunately got it.

Arrived back in Manchester Picc about 12-30am and was home for past 1am. What a day that was!

 

[Eccles Blue]

My train, the 9.55 was probably the first Manchester to Euston one to be affected by the travel chaos that was Virgin trains yesterday!! I left Manchester Piccadilly at 9.55 and arrived at Loftus Road at 4.45!!

We stopped around Abbots Langley and were told there was a signal failure and we would be delayed for about 20 minutes, half an hour later we were told 60 minutes and so it went on, until eventually 85 minutes later we started to slowly move. By this time the signal failure had become an overhead electrical fault!! As we approached Watford Junction we were told the train would terminate and we would get the overground train to London Euston from there. We then stopped for another 25 minutes, with everyone standing because we could see the platform, to be told that the passengers on the train in front were refusing to get off the train!!!!!!!!!! They had staged a sit in!! So we sat 10 yds from the platform just waiting.

At 1.40 we got off the train and were told to go to platform 4 where there was a train waiting................ and waiting....................and waiting................. with announcements saying we will be going in 5 minutes, then 10 minutes and then............ we don’t know when we are going get on the train on platform 5. After another 15 minutes we were told that they did not know if that train would be going as there was an emergency evacuation further down the line.

By this time I was losing the will to live and decided to try for a bus outside the station. The station staff were wandering around as if they didn’t have a clue that there were all these passengers just milling around. To cut a long story shorter, one railway employee told us that they might get some buses to take us to the underground station!! There was a coach outside and we asked the driver where he was going and he said he had just been told to come to the station. So about half a dozen people just said to him, right take us to the nearest underground station or somewhere where there is a train or bus moving!! He had no idea where the underground station was but someone found it on their satnav on their phone and off we went!! Then, of course the underground system had ongoing engineering works and we had a circuitous route to get to White City/Shepherds Bush!!

As others have said the fiasco continued coming back with the no trains to Manchester, then well we have trains but no staff to run them, there might be one later. And eventually the running from platform 6 to platform 14!!

Thank goodness for the Eccles group coming home who were able to run ahead and grab a seat for me as well because my old legs don't move that fast these days!! Thank you guys.

 

[northstander]

i was very lucky, got eartly train down , euston for 11am, heard of problems, and after match with the announcement over tannoy, got back to euston for 8pm asked what was happening and virgin rep said keep eye on boards and don't worry about what your ticket says just get on any train going your way,train to preston came up and got on that, actually got back 45 minutes earlier than i should have done. i did expect a night in london, so hope everyone else got home ok

 

[peoffrey]

should refund all tickets that weren't activated!

I think you're entitled to a refund if your journey was delayed by more than an hour.

 

[LongsightM13]

Did anyone see that big fat fucker with the rugby league top on the concourse at Euston, rowing with the old bill and threatening that bloke who had kids with him?
What a dickhead.
Hopefully it was a lesson for the coppers that this bizarre notion that rugby fans are jovial, happy go lucky characters while football fans are scum is a complete myth.

 

[robsta]

Feel gutted for any Blues who didn't make it to the ground on Sat. We had a crap trip but at least we got there.

We got turfed off our train at Northampton, at first without any real info. I went outside to check taxi prices, told my Mrs and lad to stay on the platform just in case it changes. Really helpful taxi driver says I'll take you to Wellingborough for £25 and you'll be able to get in to St Pancras & from there no problem.

I head back in to the station just as they make and announcement to say "We recommend passengers take a taxi to Wellingborough ..." etc. Suddenly bloody hundreds rushing out of the station for the taxi rank and me separated from my lad and Mrs. Legged it back to same taxi driver and said I'll give you a good tip mate if you hold your cab for us. Top bloke did it for us. Got my Mrs and lad by which time all other cabs had gone and queue was massive. Our driver still there telling everyone else he was booked up. If I had seen any other Blues there I would have got them in but could only see Arsenal fans. If we had been at the back of that taxi queue we would never have made it so cheers to that cab driver.

Coming back was a bloody nightmare as well. We stayed overnight and got a London Midlands train back to Crewe. If anyone ever considers going with them because they are cheaper then don't bother. They are a joke. There were only 4 carriages and all jammed like a busy tube train. People sat 3 to a seat, stood and sat in the aisles and doorways. We had run to get seats but then I had this fat woman's back side in my face for 2 hours of the journey.

But at least we got to the game and I know loads didn't.