Trains axed after driver is abused

TWO late-night trains to Henley were cancelled when the driver refused to continue working as she had been verbally abused.

The 10.26pm and 11.03pm shuttle services from Twyford were abandoned on Monday because the female driver was distressed after being shouted at by a woman while waiting to depart from Shiplake station on the previous journey.

The driver told her colleagues that the other woman, who claimed to live in Shiplake, had stormed up to her cabin and vented her anger at being regularly disturbed at home by the sound of train horns.

Witnesses told the Henley Standard that after the train returned to Twyford but didn’t set off again at 10.26pm, dozens of passengers were escorted back to the waiting room. The driver remained in her cabin and was not seen for the rest of the night.

Passengers were told that all subsequent journeys had been scrapped so they should wait for taxis organised by Great Western Railway, the train operator.

They then overheard staff discussing the reasons for the cancellation.

In an alert on its website and timetable app, GWR said the cancellations were due to “passenger disturbance”.

The taxis arrived at about 11pm and the passengers were boarding them when staff suddenly ordered them back out and sent the driver away again.

They were then told to take the 11.33pm and 00.04am services as they would run as normal because a replacement driver had come forward.

However, many passengers caught taxis from the rank outside the station anyway and said they would try to claim the cost back.

Drivers must sound the horn as they approach a foot crossing to the south of Lower Shiplake and again before leaving the station as there is a level crossing immediately to the north.

A number of accidents occured at the crossing before barriers and CCTV cameras were installed in 2013.

Since a timetable change last year, off-peak trains on the Henley branch line serve Shiplake every 30 minutes instead of every 45 minutes previously so the horn is sounded more frequently.

Furthermore, in 2017 Network Rail shortened the statutory night-time “quiet hours” when horns cannot be sounded from between 11pm and 7am to between midnight and 6am.

This was part of a drive to improve safety at foot crossings as trains have become both quieter and faster.

David Pheasant, vice-chairman of Shiplake Parish Council, said there had been complaints from villagers about horn noise.

He said: “The noise has increased in volume in recent years and we are working with Network Rail and Great Western Railway on an initiative to eliminate this requirement at certain level crossings nationwide.

“Residents sometimes talk to drivers in a reasonable and inquiring manner as to what happens, as I have witnessed myself while riding in a cabin at GWR’s invitation, but I have not heard of anything more serious and this sounds to me like a storm in a teacup.

“I suppose it became more of an issue with the change in quiet hours and the increased frequency of services.

“People have appropriate concerns and would like to see the horn used in a more measured way but have expressed this very reasonably in my experience.”

Neil Gunnell, of the Henley Trains passenger group, said: “I’m aware that this is a very sensitive issue for some people but we don’t support harassment of drivers, who are then left feeling unable to continue.

“Many of our members have expressed similar views because they recognise that they rely on the train and platform staff, who like everybody else are trying to do the best job possible for their customers.

“One useful bit of feedback I’ve received is that some drivers give a short ‘toot’ while others seem to sound it for longer, which may be partly behind the issue, and I’ve fed this back to GWR.

“I would remind people that safety measures are necessary at level crossings as there have been some nasty accidents in Shiplake. We want everyone to be safe but hopefully in a way that keeps everyone happy.”

Patricia Mulcahy, of Henley Branch User Group, said: “If you search online for ‘Shiplake level crossing’, the resulting images show clearly why audible warnings are necessary.

“Drivers have zero discretion about sounding warnings and should not be abused for doing so.”

A GWR spokesman said: “We are very sorry that we had to cancel two services on Monday evening because one of our drivers was verbally abused by a member of the public.

“In accordance with rail safety standards, our drivers have to sound the train horn as they approach a level crossing, which has frustrated some local residents living near the line.

“We always aim to be a good neighbour and will continue to work with Network Rail as they seek to find a suitable solution.

“Customers who were delayed may be entitled to compensation or a refund on the cost of their journey and we would urge them to get in touch.”