Mistake delays hundreds of rush-hour passengers

tcollins@thekmgroup.co.uk A GOOD deed turned sour when hundreds of passengers on a rush-hour train to Ashford were left stranded on the platform.

The mishap occurred when the conductor of the 4.37pm Southeastern service from London Victoria to Ashford on Tuesday stepped off the train to help a partially sighted passenger disembark.

Completing his good deed, the conductor looked up to see the train pulling out of Otford station, near Sevenoaks, without him.

When the driver arrived at the next stop, Kemsing, he realised his mistake.

Unable to continue on his journey without the conductor, who is responsible for the safety of the train, the driver asked the hundreds of passengers to get off and wait for another train to arrive.

A spokesman for Southeastern trains said: “The conductor was assisting a passenger to disembark the train but unfortunately our driver, conscious of keeping to schedule, left the station without the conductor on board.

“A conductor is needed to dispatch the train at some stations, so we were unable to continue any further and had to terminate the service at Kemsing.

“We arranged for another service to collect the passengers a short while later.

“It is a rare occurrence. We’re looking into how this happened and we’re very sorry for the inconvenience to the other passengers on board.”

What do you think or were you one of the stranded passengers? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup. co.uk