‘Herded in like cattle’ – trains crammed again after Oz game
PICTURES have again been shared of packed trains following the Wales v Australia rugby international in Cardiff – despite a Transport for Wales boss last week promising sports fans that “lessons have been learnt” after similar scenes following the Wales v Belarus football match.
The pictures show passengers once again crammed on to trains, with some saying they do not feel safe on some Transport for Wales (TfW) services.
The game finished shortly after 7.30pm and thousands of fans who were at the Principality Stadium, along with thousands more watching in city-centre bars, made their way to Cardiff Central station to head home.
This picture shared by a teenage passenger who attended the game shows an overcrowded train from Cardiff to Rhymney at 8.30pm on Saturday.
The passenger, who did not wish to be named, claims the service was only running two carriages despite the inevitable rush for the station after the game.
He said he felt anxious and claustrophobic on the train, adding that his 12-year-old brother was visibly overwhelmed by the experience, and claimed passengers were noticeably uncomfortable, with many not wearing masks.
It is not known, however, whether or not those without masks were medically exempt.
“[Rail operators] just seem to not have a clue,” he said. “Two carriages on after a big international in Cardiff. I can bet some services today will be empty with four carriages on a Sunday. With the rising cost of train fare, this isn’t acceptable. If I was to go again I would try to find another way home, perhaps on a bus. For the money I paid for that service I don’t expect to be put in like cattle.
“I felt claustrophobic because I was pressed up against the window and it was literally shoulder to shoulder. I expected it to be busy – I just feel it should have been organised a
lot better. It was okay prior to getting in the station. There were organised queues for each service. When we got there, the queues were huge to get into the station and it was about a 20-minute wait. But then we were herded in like cattle and put on a crammed train.
“In the end all that organisation beforehand was for nothing – they may as well have just let us go in anyway. They really need to put more carriages on because, especially for people with mental health issues,
I’m sure it would have aggravated their concerns a lot more.
“Yesterday was scary, to be honest, because I was so close to people on the train.”
Last weekend fears were also raised by a passenger on a service from Cardiff to Gloucester after Wales’ football match with Belarus.
A passenger on that service said: “You need a Covid pass to go to a club and a cinema, but hundreds of people were crammed on to trains that I don’t believe were fit for pur
pose.”
After those scenes, TfW chief operating officer Marie Daly said 600 people tried to travel between Cardiff and Newport after the Belarus match.
Ms Daly said at the time: “We apologise for the impact that had on customers. We have taken the lessons learnt into this evening’s game with enhanced services after the game.”
Transport for Wales is now run by the Welsh Government.
A spokesman for the Welsh Government said after last weekend’s scenes: “We urge people to follow the regulations to help keep each other safe and keep Wales open throughout the autumn and winter.
“This includes wearing face coverings on public transport. We expect train operators and stations to have measures in place to ensure people are able to travel safely.”
Transport for Wales was contacted for further comment.