Passengers revolt after train runs out of fuel

Disgruntled West Yorkshire rail passengers who say they are sick of months of delays have stormed off of a train and walked across the tracks.

The revolt has come after a failed train, said to have run out of fuel, held up the service on the Leeds to Skipton line, which has been plagued by delays since July.

Passengers say they had feared they were once again going to be abandoned at the station at Keighley, West Yorkshire.

One group, including regular commuter Keith Norris, went to warn the driver that he must complete his journey.

But others simply quit the train in dismay, Mr Norris has told BBC Radio.

He said: "It has been a continuous stream of events since July, when Leeds city station was revamped or started to be revamped. We have had continuous delays and disruption, hours and hours of disruption. That particular incident was the last straw."

Only the week before the revolt passengers were ordered off the train at Keighley so that it could return to Leeds rather than continuing its journey, Mr Norris says.

He added: "We suspected the same thing was going to happen this time and we told the driver in no uncertain terms he was not returning to Leeds; he was going to continue his journey.

"I do understand people did actually get off and cross the track which, to be honest, I have been travelling by train for 12 years and nobody I know would have dared attempt that. It was stupidity really."

Mr Norris added: "I have not had a response at all from the train operators. They are not interested."

Last updated: 07:44 Friday 24th November 2000.

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), November 24, 2000