'Over 100' train passengers including '14-month-old baby' stranded
There are chaotic scenes for rail passengers this evening and reports of 100 people being stranded due to a cancellation of services between Exeter and Penzance. Severe weather conditions between Exeter St Davids and Penzance mean all lines are blocked and services to and from these stations are not running.
One woman issued a plea online to say a mum and 14-month-old granddaughter were stranded at Exeter St David's with no way of getting home. A later update said they had shared a taxi to Plymouth but were unsure whether they would have to find accommodation for the night.
Another mum said she was on her way from Redruth to pick up her son and his girlfriend in Exeter.
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She said: "My partner and I are currently driving from Redruth to Exeter to pick my son and his girlfriend up. The train stopped in Exeter. Initially, they were told there was a delay, due to the weather, then they were asked to leave the train.
"They've been advised to claim a refund on their ticket, but that won't cover our fuel costs and there may well be passengers who don't have a loving Mum who can collect them."
"My son said there were probably over 100 people who got off the train, initially. And they were asked to go out of the station to wait for a bus, then told there would be no bus. By this point, they were all soaked and cold from being out in the storm.
"It's really not good enough that they've been treated like this. I was under the impression onward travel had to be arranged if your train is cancelled but apparently not. It's not OK that people have been abandoned, on a Sunday when transport is limited, in a storm, miles away from home."
Another passenger said he boarded the train at Paddington at 4pm. At 8:30pm he was still miles from Bodmin.
He said: "On boarding, the train manager told us to expect such delays and later updated us with the info that the train would terminate at Exeter St Davids. Before leaving the train we were also advised that a rail replacement bus would be available but platform/ticket office staff said there wasn’t (all as helpful as they could be but clearly struggling to get concise information).
"Eventually they got the info that the buses outside the station were indeed replacement transport to Plymouth.
"I'm now on the bus to Plymouth but unsure as to what the situation will be when we get there."
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