Passengers trapped for seven hours aboard a broken down Virgin train have described a “proper Lord of the Flies situation”, toilets overflowing with waste and people allegedly being told to “piss in the sinks”.
Warning: The remainder of this article contains images some readers may find distressing.
Staff attempts to placate customers stuck aboard the 7.30am Euston to Penrith with complimentary prosecco backfired and they began “kicking off”, one person on the train, who wished to remain anonymous, told HuffPost UK.
She added: “There’s a man claiming to have ADHD and threatening to hurt people if they don’t let him off the train.”
The train has now at last set off again – but, as the following pictures show, the damage had already been done.
One picture posted to social media showed the perilous state of the toilets, which had stopped working because damage to overhead wires left the carriages without power.
Another picture showed what appeared to be a hastily-constructed she-pee made out of a Coke can and a plastic cup.
But not all aboard were so industrious. The anonymous passenger said: “People have pissed all over the floors between carriages and in the toilet cubicles. They’re now opening doors to let people relieve themselves on the grass in front of the trains.
“A 54-year-old woman told the carriage she had to ‘piss in the sink’, which feels more civilised than the people choosing to urinate on the floors.”
A spokesperson for Virgin Trains told HuffPost UK in a statement: ”
“We’re very sorry for the experience of customers affected by today’s disruption.
“We’re working closely with our partners to get customers from the affected trains to the nearest station so they can continue their journeys.”
Virgin Trains tweeted that the issue was “damage to overhead wires between Preston and Lancaster”, adding: “All lines are currently blocked.”
The company advised on their website: “We would advise you to postpone travel north of Preston until later today or tomorrow if possible, as there will be no services between Preston and Lancaster for several hours.”