Case has been resolved. Thank you to Trans Pennine Express, good customer service

b4gb4g

UPDATE: Case has been resolved. Thank you to Trans Pennine Express, good customer service. :thumbsup:

houseimprover

The train company are not the police, if you want criminal prosecution then surely go to the police and make a complaint?

I presume you know who these people are because if not why would the train company?

Did the ticket specifically say quiet carriage? If so this maybe your only chance of taking it further.

houseimprover

b4gb4g wrote: »

I recently had a 4 hour train journey. I had to do some writing during the journey, so purchased a first class ticket for the ride (it was only £60, compared to £50 for the standard class, so thought I'd go for it).

At the very start of the journey a large gang of around 10 drunk men boarded the train and set up in the disabled space, behind first class. The first 2 hours of the journey was continuous screaming of football chants, whacking the walls, etc. At around the 40 minute mark, into the journey, the men came into the first class carriage and started abusing passengers who were quietly sitting there. The first man came in and started shouting "you're all motherf-ing first class w-kers". Abuse continued in this theme, abusing passengers for purchasing a first class ticket, and many passengers left at this point and were visibly upset.

During this long time, I was anxiously waiting for a member of staff to visit the carriage. A member of staff had checked tickets at around the 20 minute mark, but in the whole 4 hour journey, this was the only staff member I saw. I was unable to make my way to the front of the train because I was unwilling to leave my multiple suitcases unsupervised. I did manage to inform a staff member at a train station about the abuse that had occurred, but nothing came of it.

I contacted the train company the day after the journey and told them what had happened. I received a long apology, with the usual corporate talk, but ultimately no refund or criminal pursuing of the louts.

I paid £60 for a train ticket in a quiet carriage. Instead I got 4 hours of screaming and shouting, insulted multiple times, and fearing for my safety. Am I not entitled to a refund?

quoted for reference.

houseimprover

b4gb4g wrote: »

1 I don't care about criminal prosecution

2 Why on Earth would I know a bunch of drunken football fans who co-incidentally shared a train with me? Do you know what the odds of that are?

3 No, it didn't, just a normal first class ticket. I bought the ticket on the assumption that there would be no screaming and shouting in the next carriage and on the assumption that I and others wouldn't have abuse shouted at us and have to fear for our safety. Sadly, I was wrong.

Just as well I quoted your post as you removed the criminal part!

If you don't know them how can you expect the train company to know them and pursue them criminally as you put it.

No you shouldn't have had abuse thrown at you but you didn't go get an employee at the time of the incident so really there is little you can do and you shouldn't assume it was going to be quiet unless stated.

jacques_chirac

Travelling first class does not guarantee you will not be disrupted by football supporters. I fail to see why you expect a refund. Would you be complaining if the noise was from a school party, or a pre school outing?

Bollotom

Tug the communication cord. That's what they're there for, then tell the official you were terrified. :cool:

Jennifer_Jane

I think you deserve a refund. Surely, whether in first or second class, you have a right to travel under the care of the train company in a dignified manner and without fearing for your possessions (and without being insulted).


I would certainly be having another go at the train company for a fare refund. It's the train company's responsibility to not let drunken yobs on their trains. I thought that there were police watching for this kind of thing and stopping people from travelling if they were drunk.


As the OP says, train passengers got nervous with the drunks and got off the train to (presumably) get another train, so it seems that you are not exaggerating the problem. A pity that a member of staff didn't come along to witness it.


If people want to live safely in an orderly society, we shouldn't stand for this. Complain to a higher level.


As for the remark about the school party: presumably that would have some kind of sober adult in charge. Would the school party have been quite so aggressive as these drunks? How can anyone assume how far aggressive drunks will go? Surely people can see that there is a major difference between drunks being specifically aggressive and insulting to first-class passengers, and a school party?

Auntie_Allodoxaphobia

So if not reported to and witnessed by train staff, what proof is there that the incident actually happened?
Whilst the OP is, no doubt, telling the truth why should the train operator refund on the word of one person? If they did it sort of lays the way open for anyone to make any story up, true or false, to get a refund.

Did not the OP have a mobile phone, could not they have rung the police to make them aware of the situation which would have seen the train met by them at it's next stop

geordie_taxi

houseimprover wrote: »

The train company are not the police, if you want criminal prosecution then surely go to the police and make a complaint?

I presume you know who these people are because if not why would the train company?

Did the ticket specifically say quiet carriage? If so this maybe your only chance of taking it further.

No the railway ain't the police but they have byelaws, namely byelaw 6 which makes offensive/unacceptable behaviour an offence. OP I would rewrite a letter of complaint back to the train company stating how they failed to uphold this byelaw once you reported it to rail staff, neglecting their duty of care towards passengers.

Its been reported on a resent thread on mse that writting a letter of complaint to your mp will get forwarded on to the relevant train company and compo deservedly issued.

Coopdivi

In your very first post on MSE you said that you were living in Holland and were looking for suitable work there because you couldn't speak Dutch. You've now removed most of that post for reasons known only to yourself.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4854811

Here's the post from Google's cache of that thread:

'Due to personal circumstance I live in Holland. I don't know Dutch but I am learning it. Everyone speaks English so I can easily communicate but you still require Dutch for most jobs. I need jobs I can do that put food on the table, without knowing Dutch. Please help! So far I've thought of, 1. fast food chef, 2. manual labour, 3. deliveryman (pizza or leaflets) 4. crop picking 5. cleaner '.

Now you say you've recently travelled on a train in this country. I smell BS.

DaveTheMus

geordie_taxi wrote: »

stating how they failed to uphold this byelaw once you reported it to rail staff, neglecting their duty of care towards passengers.

He didn't report it to the member of staff until after he arrived at his destination.....so unless there's a time-displacement anomaly, I fail to see what they could have done about it by that time.