High Peak MP slams Northern Rail after two people faint on overcrowded train to Manchester

Issy Austin was one of the people who collapsed. She said: “I managed to squeeze onto this boiling hot, cramped train to get to university. I assumed they would stop letting people on at this point as it was honestly suffocating.

“The train got a few more stops down and due to the train just getting warmer and warmer and not even being able to move I ended up collapsing, it was very scary and according to other people on the train I was unconscious for about 30 seconds.

“When I woke up I then blacked out again, someone lifted me onto a seat and I then blacked out again.

“Just after I had fainted, apparently someone else fainted further down the carriage which just shows how crazy this train was. The ambulance was called by the other people on the train and they helped me off the train when it reached Manchester Piccadilly.”

Now Mr Pearce has secured a meeting with Northern Rail to look at how things can be improved.

He said: “The service provided by Northern at the moment simply isn’t good enough. I’ve had so many constituents write to me about cancelled and delayed trains or trains so crammed it makes the journey unbearable. If they can get on the train in the first place.”

The 7.17am train from Glossop to Manchester was cancelled on Tuesday November, 5 meaning the 7.52am service was overcrowded.

Mr Pearce said: “Issy Austin’s experience was just horrendous and Northern must make sure nothing like it ever happens again. Livestock have better protections when being transported than commuters with Northern.

“I will be raising this incident and many of the other complaints I have received directly with Northern Rail next week and will be calling for an urgent improvement to services.”

What happened on the train with Issy was put to Northern Rail and a spokesperson said: “We are sorry for our recent performance, accept it has not been good enough and understand the impact this has on our customers.

“Cancellations are always a last resort and only applied when we have no other option.”