Passengers on a train from Liverpool were forced to take drastic measures after a power loss left them trapped in darkness.
The trainload of travellers were left trapped inside the carriage with fellow passengers urinating "all over the floor and sink" after the toilet overflowed.
The Northern Service, from Liverpool to Wilmslow via Manchester Piccadilly departed Liverpool at around 9.30pm on Saturday night, May 7, but less than an hour into the journey it descended into chaos. An overhead power supply issue at around 10.15pm forced the train to suddenly stop and appeared to suffer a power cut, with "all the electricity going off", according to one frustrated traveller.
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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, the disgruntled passenger said he and his fellow travellers were left without information as "no one announced what was going on for the duration of the stop". He also said the delay lasted for about two and half hours taking them into the early hours of the following morning.
He added that during the stoppage, the toilet train had become blocked and flooded.
"Women could no longer use it, men were p***ing all over the floor and sink, the toilet door shut on people in the toilet trapping them for some time," said the man, who wishes to remain anonymous.
"Passengers ended up wanting answers, but there was only one [member of] train staff. When she made an appearance after an hour, she had only one update which was that no one was answering at the other end, so we were all panicked."
Passengers frustrated by the delay started banging on windows, smoking and a newborn baby started crying according to the complainant.
"With no answers we had to just sit and wait, with drunk passengers and no updates," he continued. "At around half midnight, we were eventually told that a train had come to save us, so we all had to evacuate the train. [This was] hearsay [from] passengers, the train staff didn’t inform us anything.
"We all climbed out of the train using the ladders and sat on another Northern service to take us to our final destination but it then didn’t depart for another 30 minutes, and then decided to terminate at Manchester Victoria. All passengers [catching] connecting trains were completely lost.
"We eventually arrived at Victoria at 1.27am, at which point [it was] explained we’d get taxis but, again, absolutely no communication by staff and people [were] left stranded, they didn’t even have any toilet facilities open for us after this four-hour [journey]! It was hell."
The only help the passengers got during the horrifying ordeal, he claims, was from police and station staff at Manchester Victoria. The livid traveller, who eventually got back to his destination in Stockport at 2.15am, took a taxi with a group of other passengers.
In a statement, Northern bosses apologised to the passengers on the service. Due to the 'remote location' that the train lost power due to an 'overhead power supply' issue, it was not possible to restore power, 'negotiate safe passage for a recovery train', and the 'complete a controlled evacuation for some time'.
Chris Jackson, regional director for Northern, said: “I apologise to all customers on the 21.30 Liverpool to Wilmslow service on Saturday night. We know this was a busy train with people trying to get home for the evening – and unfortunately, the loss of power was not connected to an issue with the train, but with the overhead power supply.
“Despite repeated attempts by the driver to get the train moving again, it was not possible to restore power and a recovery train was dispatched from Manchester Victoria.
“Due to the remote location that the service encountered this problem – and having first had to negotiate a safe passage for that recovery train across the network – it was not possible to reach the passengers and complete a controlled evacuation for some time.
“Upon arrival in Manchester, onward transport was provided to get passengers to their final destination.”
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