The hot property lost on Merseyrail trains
THE Visiter can today blush.reveal the odd things people are leaving on Merseyrail trains – and some are enough to make you
Staff at Merseyrail, which runs the train services between Southport and Liverpool, have revealed the secrets of its lost property department.
The department, at Water Street, Liverpool, it handles more than 1,000 items found each year on Merseyrail trains.
And some of the unclaimed goods are a real eye-opener.
Station manager for James Street and Lime Street, Mike Johnson, said: “I remember once, a few years ago, a pouch with a glass eye was found; I think it was on a train at Ainsdale.
“We never found out if it was a replacement eye or a joke one.”
Items found on trains are held at the nearest station for 48 hours, then forwarded to the central lost property team staffed for the past 13 years by the unflappable Julie Musker.
Julie, 56, told of some of the bizarre items that make their way to her.
She said: “We’ve had a few saucy items handed in. The sort of things that you buy in Ann Summers or from a certain shop by Moorfields.
“No, they claimed back.
“The staff don’t tell you and you have no clue what you are opening. From one day to the next, you don’t know what you are going to find.”
But sexy purchases are not the only memorable items that have made their way to Julie.
“We have had artificial limbs more than once; one was a false hand, I remember. And we have had quite a lot of false teeth.”
And what are the most common left items?
“It used to be mobiles, keys, walking sticks, and we have loads of glasses at the moment. And back
weren’t packs, lots of backpacks.”
Station manager Mike said: “Kids’ packed lunches, too. But we do tend to get them back to them as we get the school or parents ringing.
“You also get students with their end-of-year work. They must be concentrating that much that they leave it on the train. Memory sticks, too.”
The lost property department on average gets at least a couple of items every day – but just don’t mention the rain to Julie: “Yes, the worst time is when it is raining, as we’re swamped umbrellas.”
Although the department can be a lot of fun, Mike stressed they were all fully aware of the importance and responsibility of being the guardians of other people’s possessions. with
“We are always careful not to dismiss things as tat. We found an old rag doll but it was something the child’s mum had been handed down by her mother. You can’t replace that and the memories attached to it.”
Julie said: “I’ve had people on the phone in tears when I’ve told them we have found their possessions. It’s a nice part of the job.”
Some train operating companies charge people to get their stuff back from lost property, but not Merseyrail. It’s completely free.
If unclaimed after three months, clothes get donated to Liverpool homeless and housing charity The Whitechapel Centre.
If its Charity of the Year (it’s Alder Hey children’s hospital this year) has a shop, then lots of items go there. Electrical items go to a company which recycles them and any money made is donated to the charity of the year. Lost cash gets added to a pot to give grants to local charities.
So, why do people keep forgetting things when they get off the train?
“It’s stress, a lot of panic getting to work, or you might be watching your kids or whatever. Nothing surprises me any more,” Julie said.
If you leave something on a Merseyrail train, email lostproperty@ merseyrail.org or call 0151 955 2368 between 7am and 10am or 3pm to 6pm.