Slough station - incidents and events (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[BBM]

I am wondering if it will be sorted before tomorrow's rush hour...

I hope so too! I've just taken a quick look at Realtime Trains, the 1930 Paddington to Bristol TM^‡(resolve) has just taken 1 hour and 54 minutes to get as far as Reading - it took 1 hour and 15 minutes just to get from Southall to West Drayton. 

UPDATE: Just looked at another train, the 2103 to Bristol TM, that appears to have lost just 8 minutes on its schedule in the affected area, hopefully things are rapidly improving now.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Nailsea and Backwell looks so nice at night (at 40mph). 

OY!!  I heard that! 

[johoare]

I am wondering if it will be sorted before tomorrow's rush hour...

I hope so too! I've just taken a quick look at Realtime Trains, the 1930 Paddington to Bristol TM^‡(resolve) has just taken 1 hour and 54 minutes to get as far as Reading - it took 1 hour and 15 minutes just to get from Southall to West Drayton. 

UPDATE: Just looked at another train, the 2103 to Bristol TM, that appears to have lost just 8 minutes on its schedule in the affected area, hopefully things are rapidly improving now.

That is slightly worrying..1 hour and 15 Southall to West Drayton on a Sunday evening when the timetable is minimal anyway.. I looked at Twitter (tho I still don't get twitter) and they weren't giving much there away re tomorrow.. ho hum...

[johoare]

National Rail website isn't keeping up.. It's saying trains due soon are "on time"  at Maidenhead when it appears they've not left Paddington as an example.. I think tomorrow morning will be interesting at best 

[bobm]

Apparently a partial repair has been made with final works and testing to be done overnight when there are fewer trains about.

[JayMac]

From the Slough & South Bucks Express:

A person has been hit by a train between Slough and Maidenhead, First Great Western have said. A message tweeted from its Twitter account at about 11.30am warned delays are expected on services running between Maidenhead and London Paddington stations. It added: "A person has been hit by a train at Slough meaning trains may be delayed or cancelled. Updates to follow shortly."

Writing on Twitter Gareth Rutter said: "Just seen someone throw themselves under a high speed train at slough station."

Jack Smith tweeted: @FGW^▸ (First Great Western) @fgwkmc fatality in the Slough area. Please let's pause to reflect and think of those affected - family, friends, train crew.

A spokesman from First Great Western confirmed there has been 'an incident' at Slough train station and services to and from Slough could be be delayed or be cancelled at short notice.

It was unable to provide furthur details.

British Transport Police also confirmed they are attending the scene.

And from the Slough Observer:

Slough train station death being treated as unsuspicious

Police officers have confirmed they are treating the death at Slough train station today as unsuspicious.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: ^We were called to Slough station after reports of a person being hit by a train. BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) officers attended with Thames Valley Police. The incident was reported at 11.15am. Medics from South Central Ambulance Service attended but the person was pronounced dead at the scene.

^Incident currently being treated as non-suspicious and file being prepared for the coroner. Officers are now working to identify the person and inform their family.^

All lines are now open after the incident.

Train involved was the 1100 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service. I've seen unconfirmed reports on Twitter and heard through industry sources that the body ended up on the platform near to the gateline after being hit.

Thoughts as always with those affected by the incident. Particularly the driver, those involved in dealing with the incident, and in this case, those that witnessed it. 

[James Vertigan]

Firstly, thoughts of course with the driver of the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) and other on-board crew and station staff.

However I do wish the press wouldn't give publicity to these anti-TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) groups that are on Twitter when quoting people's Tweets (Jack Smith's in this case). I'm always very supportive of the work FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do and I don't moan when there are delays, but it seems some passengers are very quick to find an outlet so they can have a pop at TOCs even when problems are beyond the control of the TOC.

[trainer]

Firstly, thoughts of course with the driver of the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) and other on-board crew and station staff.

However I do wish the press wouldn't give publicity to these anti-TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) groups that are on Twitter when quoting people's Tweets (Jack Smith's in this case). I'm always very supportive of the work FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do and I don't moan when there are delays, but it seems some passengers are very quick to find an outlet so they can have a pop at TOCs even when problems are beyond the control of the TOC.

I agree wholeheartedly with the first sentiment, but I can't see anything anti-TOC in the quote from the Tweeters.  I am not on said social media site, so I may have missed something.

[JayMac]

The anti-TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) sentiment is to be found in the '@fgwkmc' twitter account included in Jack Smith's tweet.

I suspect the press didn't intentionally give publicity to @fgwkmc. It's probable that the article writer just copied and pasted the tweet without looking at the linked twitter account.

Sadly, by explaining this, I have given publicity to the account. Sorry about that. 

[trainer]

Thanks for the explanation.  I shan't be checking it out.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Slough Express:

UPDATE: Family of man hit by train informed

The family of a man hit by a train at Slough train station have now been informed, police have confirmed.

Long delays were caused to railway services through Slough after the man was hit by the train yesterday at about 11.15am.

British Transport Police, (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) who attended the scene alongside Thames Valley Police and South Central Ambulance, have now confirmed the man was from Slough and is believed to have been in his 20s.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A file is now being be prepared for the coroner.

Services were not restored to normal until about 2.45pm yesterday with routes to London Paddington and Windsor stations all affected.

Edited in error - sorry - Graham

[grahame]

Services were not restored to normal until about 2.45pm yesterday with routes to London Paddington and Windsor stations all affected.

The 'ripples' of disrupted services lasted rather longer, and went wider that the Slough paper says; I have an example of things not being right (missed TransWilts connections as a direct effect) until the evening peak.  But in the various circumstances of events like this, the solution should be very much more in preventing "person hit by train" where possible, and then in helping find alternative journeys for passengers inconvenienced.

[bobm]

Notice this as a comment posted in relation to the above story.. the effects can last much longer than the time it takes to get services back to normal.

Being stood far enough down the platform, unfortunately had the traumatic experience of being one of about 3 people who saw this incident from the front. You hear about it and know it happens but to witness it is the most awful thing I've ever had to deal with. Fingers crossed I get some sleep tonight.

[tom m]

Platform 2 at slough is the only station I know where there is a major access point on a platform with trains regularly running at 125mph.

I have been on the platform on several occasions where the driver had to sound the horn as people have been too close to the platform edge. Normally tales a few minutes for the ringing in my ears to stop, but other than putting underground style glass curtains I can't see an easy way to reduce the risk of this happening (accident or deliberately)

[JayMac]

I've had a couple of PMs since I made the original post about this incident.

I'd just like to say that I thought long and hard before adding my own comments to the news items I quoted in the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter). I decided to add the information I'd read and heard through social media and from rail industry sources because this particular incident was somewhat different to the many other 'person hit by train' topics that we have on this forum from time to time.

My intention was not to sensationalise what happened at Slough. By saying what I said I was merely attempting to report what had happened based on eyewitness social media reports and industry sources. In doing so I hoped that no more graphic detail was posted. There are a handful of eyewitness reports out there on social media that go much further...

If my OP caused offence or concern to any forum member then I apologise. It was not my intention to do either.