West Coast Mainline The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track

This programme contains some strong language.

Britain's railway.

-TANNOY:

-We are sorry to announce that the 18...

-The oldest and one of the busiest in the world.

-It's OK!

Just slow down!

Surely this is illegal to be packed in like this?

A huge network under constant pressure.

Absolutely mental today.

-No driver?

-Come on, guys! Look for the driver and guard!

Where anything and everything...

Start tamping it, son!

..can mean delay and chaos for thousands.

Backs against the wall.

He's got a suicidal female on board.

Train now 90 late owing to hitting a pheasant.

I've heard everything now!

Filmed over a year across the nation...

That one. There's a seat next to the banana.

..we go behind the scenes of an industry we love to complain about.

Do you want a hand?

That's £323.50.

Oi!

With the railway people determined to keep Britain moving.

To infinity and beyond!

It's a battle.

Of all the routes in Britain,

the West Coast Main Line is the busiest,

with trains running back to back.

Woo hoo! Here they come!

It stretches the length of the country.

From London to Glasgow.

See all tickets, please. See all tickets, please.

Early start for you.

With an infrastructure that's still being modernised,

this is a line that's so full just a small problem can have big ripple effects.

The good old railway saying.

When it goes tits up, it really does go tits up.

And now after 15 years...

Hello. This is Richard Branson. I've always wanted to do this.

..Virgin's franchise to run the long distance trains is up for grabs.

It's literally been six years that we've been going,

"Do you think we'll win it? Who do you think will win it?"

Not knowing has become the norm.

This is a line that's under pressure

and this morning the pinch is at Liverpool Lime Street.

Can I just get through?

It's 5.20am

and Virgin security manager Owen Brunton is starting his day.

-MEN SING:

-Oh when the reds go marching in!

Everyone's full of hope. Early doors.

In just a few hours, Liverpool will play Everton

in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

It's Owen's job to get the thousands of fans on a train by 9am

if they're to make it to the match in time.

Ten times more passengers than a typical Saturday morning.

The trains are busy anyway

and you then throw in a major sporting event.

It so happens that Liverpool have drawn Everton.

They've both got 31, 32 thousand.

We're looking at 64,000 people roughly travelling to Wembley.

A large proportion of those

are going to travel with us on the railway.

Seat reservations only here.

You won't get on it there, mate. You're probably on the 7.48.

It's non stop today. There's no break at all today for anyone.

Busiest day of the year.

Just slow it down, stop pushing through!

Owen's scheduled two extra trains to ease overcrowding

but with over 4,000 trains on the West Coast Main Line every day,

it's hard to squeeze many more on to this already jam-packed route.

In an ideal world if we could just go to a large cupboard

and pull a train out, that we just happened to have spare,

and say, "Let's pull another one out the train sheds."

Yeah, it'd be lovely but it doesn't work like that any more.

Don't let anyone come down the middle and start bunking in at the front.

Go towards the front of the train!

It's exactly as usual. Bloody chaos!

Now just slow down, slow down!

Slow down!

Steven! I can't get on!

Reckon we can get another 20, 25 on this. Quickly.

Thin people only!

Go to the front of the train!

WHISTLE

30 miles down the track at Manchester Piccadilly,

around 83,000 passengers pass through the station every day.

Many are obliged to meet 20-year-old Chris,

the font of all knowledge in the information pod.

Hello!

Can you tell me what time the 14.46 gets into Blackpool, please?

-Can I get a train to Hayton?

-I thought I'd go to Shrewsbury.

-CHRIS SINGS:

-Oh, try and keep happy, happy, happy! Hello!

Can you tell me when the next train is to Stockport?

13.43, platform 13.

Go to platform 10, up the travelators.

Think I've pulled. There we go.

It's usually the regular questions. Doncaster, Peterborough, Leeds.

Stockport. Is the 43 faster than the 45?

When's the next train to Sheffield? Is that not the next one?

And the monotony eventually bears down on you.

And you go home and cry yourself to sleep.

Up in Cumbria, on a line off the main route,

Simon works the Blea Moor signal box.

A world away from the rest of the West Coast Main Line.

Only trains I like keep going with red lights at the back.

They don't give me any grief.

Wave to the driver and that's good enough for Simon.

Almost unchanged since it was first built 120 years ago,

today it controls the four trains an hour that cross the Ribble Head viaduct.

It's an enjoyable job if you can stand your own company which I can.

I listen to the radio and that's about it.

Read.

You find you get a loathing of people, to be honest.

Certainly beats being stuck in an office or whatever.

In the rat race.

If I come by road, it's 17 miles to here.

My commute is I turn left in three miles

and I turn right in five and that's it.

No traffic lights, no roundabouts, no nobody. That's it.

It can get a bit hectic in summer when you get stuck behind a couple of tractors

but that's about your lot, you know.

Gridlock.

BELL RINGS

People don't believe that somewhere like this exists in the 21st century, do they?

But like all this old engineering,

it's fantastic but it all works, you know.

Guys, I need help here!

Where's my team?

Nearly 300 miles way, at London Euston,

the FA Cup semi-final has finished.

A 2-1 victory to Liverpool.

Red men, go all the way!

And now ticket inspector Jeannie and her colleagues

have just four hours to get 7,000 fans back home.

Have your tickets out, please!

Oi!

Tickets, guys, tickets! Thank you.

Before moving from America two years ago,

Virgin revenue inspector Jeannie was a wedding planner.

-Thank you.

-Nightmare!

-I know. Go on, buddy.

I dealt with a lot of brides.

I'm zen-like when people start yelling at me cos I've been yelled at by so many brides in my life.

He's been escorted out under Section 27 by our guys, all right?

Excellent.

Down on platform 1 is security manager Owen, who's banned alcohol on the Liverpool trains.

-TANNOY:

-Information for customers travelling on Virgin train services this evening.

Please note that alcohol is not permitted on any Virgin train service.

The British transport police have been drafted in to help enforce the ban.

Sorry, mate, can you put that in the bin?

-I'm not drinking it now.

-I don't care. It's a dry train.

It's been advertised on the main station.

Where? Do you know what I mean?

They'll try hiding places they think we haven't seen before.

They'll be some in their pockets.

Unsightly bulges is what you're looking for. Down their socks.

He touched my bum!

All right. Nice try.

Children's rucksacks.

A small child who's got a very severe lean.

Cos their rucksack's full of six cans of ale.

Sorry, mate.

Why you giving drink to your daughter? It's a simple question.

Soft lad.

On you go, mate, come on.

It's 8pm and down on platform 4 behind the police line

Jeannie and her colleagues are preparing to face the rush for the last Liverpool train.

Including fans who've been in the pub for several hours now.

Do we have a large enough team?

It makes me nervous we only have four.

I feel kind of like I'm in battle and war.

And I'm like, "You're not going down without me! I'm coming for you!"

CHANTING AND SINGING

OK. Are you ready?

-Slow down, please.

-Any alcohol in the bins, please.

I got a funny vibe about this train.

It's weird how it all of a sudden changes.

The vibe, like it's really happy and genial and now all of a sudden...

CHANTING AND SINGING

Stop pushing!

Totally out of order.

Sober up, catch a later train.

We just bought £60 worth of beer and these little Hitlers, I don't care what they think.

Excuse me, what's your name? Excuse me!

Excuse me, you're not listening to what I'm saying!

The way you people can talk to cops is shocking.

You'd never be able to get away with that in America.

Never!

You would not talk to a cop. You'd just be thrown on the ground and taken away.

It's like an animal mentality.

Come on, mate.

WHISTLE

In just four hours, thousands have headed back up north.

And at 8.11 the last train leaves, packed with fans.

And a police escort.

To ease overcrowding, fans have been allowed to sit in first class.

When we buy first class tickets, we expect a relatively quiet carriage, I suppose.

-I was really quite scared.

-People were dancing up and down.

I just was really worried that someone might be sick

while I was sitting here, on top of my head or something.

SINGING

I'm arresting you for drunk and disorderly behaviour on board this service to Liverpool, OK?

With 25 years' experience on the trains,

Gary has learned a few tricks of the trade to keep fans quiet.

Once you've had a beer, you do find you sleep much better

once the heating's turned up just a little bit.

All I need now is a light switch.

Switch the lights off, turn the heating up, wake them up in Liverpool.

Fantastic.

Monday morning at Manchester Piccadilly.

Train manager Matt Pickering is preparing for his first train of the day.

The 7am to London.

Weekly operating notices are just any changes on the track speeds

or any last-minute line speed restrictions, engineering works.

That's the most important board.

If you've excelled in your job,

you get your name in a special coloured font!

Just one stop to pick up at Stockport

and then straight through to London Euston.

It's a peak time train.

It tends to be people travelling with companies and businesses.

Always the last stragglers.

And that's me happy with the doors closed.

Can I request that you now have your tickets and any relevant railcards ready for inspection. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

They go together anyway so you're halfway there.

So all in all, that's £323.50.

It's an absolute rip-off, isn't it?

My business is paying. I wouldn't pay it personally.

I mean, the trains are still regularly late

so is it value for money? No. It's an absolute rip-off.

That's £174.50.

Company purchase.

-INTERVIEWER:

-Does that make it easier?

-Does for me!

Makes it easier for me for them to have a business account.

I always prefer a credit card that ends in L-T-D.

Than a Jones.

Cos you don't feel as guilty!

What did the gentleman look like?

A red top of some sort.

A passenger in first class says his ticket has been stolen

by someone on the train.

He said, "I can actually describe the person who I think's taken it."

Because he's got a specific type of ticket which was through a company warrant,

it's quite easy to identify because that warrant will have a reference.

A discreet hunt!

See all tickets, please.

See your ticket, please?

Cheers, that's great, thank you.

OK, do you have any ID on you, please, sir?

You don't? Nothing to match the name on this ticket?

Cos I was in a rush, that's everything.

I have to inform you that the gentleman in first class

who's reported having his ticket stolen

has these details on his ticket.

I've got two passengers that witnessed you taking them.

This ticket is at the moment stolen property, sir, that you've handed me.

I didn't take anybody's ticket. I probably made a mistake with this.

So what you're saying is there is another ticket belonging to you

and you've picked up an incorrect ticket.

So I'll leave you to find me the correct ticket then, all right.

I'll be back with you in ten minutes.

Sorry to wake you.

The passenger eventually produces another ticket,

but it's only valid with a young person's railcard.

Have you got a young person's card as well?

I don't have my railcard.

I don't think this is his ticket, I really don't!

You just know when you're being had over.

I don't take it too personally.

I'm not going to restrain him and throw him in the luggage rack

till we get to somewhere where I can get the armed police to him,

but it is unfair, especially on these peak time trains.

Because people have forked out a lot of money.

Matt can't prove the man really did steal the first-class ticket.

And he's reluctant to delay the train by waiting for the British Transport Police.

But without a railcard, the man has no valid ticket,

so Matt can ask him to leave.

What you need to do is get off at Crewe.

And that is doing you a favour.

Butch voice, three, two, one.

The train now approaching Crewe.

Customers should change here for North Wales services and services to Liverpool Lime Street.

I've met you in the middle. There's many militant train managers out there.

There are probably some train managers who would scream at that and go,

"Oh my God! What's he doing? Get him off!"

At the end of the day, don't sweat the small stuff, I think,

so you've just got to keep a nice calm and relaxed atmosphere.

He says, wiping his brow.

Having to reapply the bronzer!

HE LAUGHS

The railway industry says rising ticket prices means more money for improvements.

Including hi-tech Pendolino trains

designed to speed around the corners of this Victorian line

and cut journey times.

I call them the Ferrari of the railways.

This is Mac 2. This is full speed.

Train driver Ross has been driving the West Coast Main Line for the past 12 years.

Some days I think, right, fuck it, I'm going to do 125

and I'm going to full brake, full speed,

then other days I might chill out, give the passengers a good ride.

Luckily I'm in a good mood today!

Hello! Like anything to eat, sir?

We have the chilli beef or the goats cheese tart

or we have the cold options.

Chilli beef.

It's one o'clock in first class and customer service manager Jo Costello

is on lunch duty.

Hi honey, I'm home!

Jo and her team serve several hot and cold options

along with pudding and a cheese board.

There's different types of people in first class.

But all of them are first class to us!

HE LAUGHS

No, erm, business travellers that do it all time

you don't see any sort of reaction from what we offer in first class.

It's at weekends and off-peak times,

especially in school holidays when you've got leisure travellers on,

you can hear people just like, "Isn't it posh?"

"You get crisps! They're free!"

And you know straightaway, obviously you don't say anything,

but you just think, Oh bless.

That's your return one.

Sorry to disturb you if you're eating. Thank you.

Did you notice...

My accent! Thank you!

I think I've got different voices for different...

Not that I speak to people like "Y'all right?" in standard but...

Before she joined the railways, Jo worked in a factory.

Enjoy your dinner.

It's given me a second lease of life, this job.

Because I had my children young.

I've been married 25 years. I was married at 19.

I started a job like this, it was like, Whoa!

It was like a new wide world!

I'd never been on a train to London before I worked here.

All I knew was trains went to Blackpool!

SHE LAUGHS

I didn't know they went there.

I put the two ladies down cos they're sat together so you want 29.

When I first started, I wouldn't have said boo to a goose.

And now look at me! I don't care who I talk to. When. Where.

Oops! What is wrong with you? Leaving your stuff out!

Hello! Any dessert this evening?

-Can I get a banana?

-Yeah.

Where can you look out the window and see scenes like that?

From nobody's office can you see that.

Only ours.

You know the rule. All for one, one for all.

Get it made!

There's not many train managers you would see making other staff a brew.

That's why I'm loved.

LAUGHTER

A few minutes to spare for tea is a luxury on the West Coast Main Line.

Our day is set out to the minute.

I don't book on at 1500, I book on at 1501.

I'm given so many minutes to walk to the train.

To prep the train.

I find I'm obsessed with time myself.

The last thing I do when I go to bed at night is look at my watch.

Ross's Pendolino is one of the fastest trains on the network.

But travelling at 125 miles per hour

means it can take the length of 15 football pitches to stop.

I killed a magpie recently.

I'm not superstitious but I did have a bit of a "Ooh, magpie", you know.

I've ran over some sheep.

The mess, the smell!

My other half, he killed a llama once.

South West Trains down that way, there's a llama farm.

And he ran a llama over.

But they name llamas, they give them names.

So he killed something with a name!

You hit a pigeon, it's a pigeon.

But he killed Larry or Louise or whatever they call llamas, you know.

Lucky I'm not Buddhist.

Trains on the West Coast Main Line are controlled by 38 signal boxes.

And around half still use an old bells and levers system.

BELL

Just south of Manchester, Stockport 2 signal box

is one of the busiest in the country.

Signaller Martin is on the morning rush-hour shift.

These are your levers.

Black is normally points.

And blue is a lock bar traditionally.

The red ones are your signals.

The white ones are redundant now,

they're for bits of railway that don't exist any more.

On this giant train set, Martin uses the Victorian levers to switch the points

and signal trains into each section of the line.

It's probably one of the safest systems we've got.

It looks old fashioned but it works.

BELL

Martin communicates with signal boxes up the line by bell.

BELLS

Bit of sarcastic bell ringing there.

You can often tell who's on at a certain signal box by the way they ring bells.

Believe it or not. You can tell who's in a good mood, a bad mood.

-INTERVIEWER:

-How could you tell that was a sarcastic bell?

Cos it was a two and a very long pause and a one.

So I've obviously done something somewhere to upset him

and he's letting me know.

BELL

He's all right now, he's back in a good mood again.

In time, Martin's signal box

will be replaced by a computerised control room.

I've been in them and sat in them and had a look at them.

And it looks artificial to me.

It looks very sterile environment.

This is more organic, if that's the right word.

This to me is like real signalling, what's left of it, anyway.

This is proper railway.

London's Euston Station, and it's the day before the Easter Bank Holiday.

Passengers are waiting for the first off-peak train of the evening.

With fares that can be hundreds of pounds cheaper.

I can feel it, though, the tension.

I can feel them standing there, looking up at the board.

Ready to go either way.

Taking off their high heels so they can run quicker to get a seat!

Here they come! You can hear them coming around that corner.

It's a rumbling.

Thank you. Do you hear it?

If you had safari music to rush hour at Euston.

People running, scrapping, grabbing a seat.

Not being embarrassed to react.

You'd be like, Oh my gosh. If your mother was here.

That's all I want to say. If your mother was here, young man!

We've got families travelling to holidays. Thank you.

We've got the commuters that travel up every day.

And they just keep on coming.

Is anybody travelling to Manchester?

I have the 18.57 going out off of 16.

This is going to be standing room only for many of you.

I'm just going to run ahead and see if I can find you some seats real quick. OK?

This is jam packed.

Shit!

It's so busy.

And there's already buggies.

Guys, there's already buggies in all the areas that we have buggies.

If you don't have a seat reservation we can't let you on.

It's past standing room only.

WHISTLE

Tucked away in an office upstairs, staff are overseeing the exodus.

From Euston control room.

Yes, please. Thanks very much. Thanks, bye.

Hello, Euston.

Maundy Thursday is the busiest day of the year. Busier than Christmas.

Busier than New Year.

It's an awful lot of trains to run.

And it just takes one minor problem

and just throws everything out.

Yeah, one tango 38.

So that's thrown us a bit as well.

It has to stay on that diagram come what may.

Thank you. Hi there.

I have to stop. I have to unpack.

I have to get out all my tickets and show them

rather than sitting there on the train

showing them as they go by.

-Thank you. Thanks very much.

-Thanks.

They're upset they have to show us their tickets.

If we ask for any supporting documents

like there's a railcard discount so we ask for railcards,

people get grumpy about that.

Hi, sir. Come on over.

-I'm in a rush.

-No, come back! Sir!

Please come back here!

Where's your railcard? Thanks.

Little stinker.

I think when people enter the rail station

they think time ticks quicker than it does.

Like they come down, and they're like, "It's leaving!"

And you're like, "You've got ten minutes! It's all right! You'll make it!"

Sometimes the common sense gets left at the door unfortunately.

The 18.40 service to Manchester is about to leave.

-Is that your seat reservation? 6.36?

-Yes.

I don't know why it's not on the screen. I figured it was the 6.40.

Because it was 6.36 this morning, my love.

You're joking?

That's 18.40. We work in train time.

-Sorry. I'm just a bit stressed.

-That's OK. We'll get it figured out.

OK, let's talk to the train manager. OK?

Bummer, huh?

Was wondering why the 6.36 wasn't showing on the board.

-I've explained the 24 hour clock.

-You know what you've done?

OK, yeah, jump on this one.

-You've come at the right time.

-Thank you so much.

-Just 12 hours late.

-I'm just 12 hours late.

I'm stupid!

-Thank you.

-No problem. Have a good trip.

No worries. Oopsi-doodle.

For me it's just a ticket. For that person they might be seeing their mom

for the first time in six months.

They're either going home or they're going someplace where

their family is or their friends are.

It's not mundane for them.

So I just try to remember that for everybody.

While passengers start their Bank Holiday weekend,

35 miles up the track at Leighton Buzzard,

railway workers start the night shift.

Engineering work is necessary every night of the year

to keep the West Coast Main Line in working order.

See what you're up to. See what you're doing to my railway.

It's Network Rail manager Jane Simpson who has to ensure the entire line is up to scratch.

There's more trains, the heavy trains,

they're fast trains, they're tilting trains.

It's hammered and we have less and less time to maintain the track.

All works have strict deadlines and Jane risks paying heavy compensation

to the train companies if they overrun.

Where do you want us to stop?

But with more trains on the West Coast Main Line than ever before,

the window for maintenance is smaller.

Tonight they have just seven hours 20 minutes

to replace a section of worn-out rail.

It's like the orange underworld.

It's like that funny little club where you each have a wave.

But work can't begin until the last Euston train passes through.

And the team have just heard it's running late.

We've got to cut in by ten to one.

It's absolutely essential we need to cut in by ten to one.

If we don't hit that time it's dangerous to continue

because it means a guaranteed overrun.

So there's a whole critical path of activities that need to be done

so one missed T2

results in a whole domino effect of problems further down the line.

So we've got 20 minutes to sort this out now?

Er, yes, roughly.

If it gets to a point where it is an hour late,

we may just say we can't get the work done.

It costs us about £175,000 a shift.

So if I lose a shift it's very costly.

At Euston, staff know that holding a train for just two extra minutes

can throw the schedule for the rest of the night.

WHISTLE

-One more minute!

-Let's see your ticket.

I just buy the tickets so I'm late! Only 30 minutes! Please! I need...

The doors are locked, the train's about to go.

OK!

No, no, can't go on it. The train's going. Can't go on it.

-But I have arrived here before.

-You've missed this one completely.

You should have been here two or three minutes ago.

I have been here, talking to him! One minute here before!

Madam, the doors close two minutes before the train's due to go

to allow the train to leave on time.

So why you sell the tickets then?

We can sell the ticket to anyone at any time, madam.

You'll refund my tickets then.

Go to the ticket office.

They'll refund your ticket and let you know what the best way to go is.

-Oh! Coming back!

-Can you come with me, please?

To refund my tickets!

Do you have a place to stay here in town?

Do you want my help cos I'm happy to help but I need you to talk to me.

So you can get your discount or you can get your refund, OK?

And then you have the Caledonian going out tonight if you want to take that.

You can sleep on the train then you'll get in tomorrow morning.

Or we have a train going out tomorrow morning.

And if you catch that you'll get in tomorrow afternoon. OK?

I have two babies. One is two years old.

One is six months.

And I miss them and I cannot go home tonight.

It's hard, I understand. I can only imagine. Miserable feeling.

At Leighton Buzzard, the last train passes Jane and the team

just in time to make the start of the shift.

It's like Thunderbirds!

It does look like Thunderbirds are go, doesn't it!

-It's going to be tight but we should be OK.

-Yeah.

Just made the ten to one cut-off.

So that's really good news that the shift can go ahead tonight.

That is the track relaying train.

It's picking up old sleepers and old rails

and putting in new sleepers and new rail.

It'll take 40 men until dawn to replace the section of track.

If we had to do this manually or by conventional methods,

we'd only get half if half of what we achieve tonight.

My ten-year-old would love this!

When I bought him the little wooden Brio train set when he was a child,

he had these Playmobile people standing round it.

I said, "What are all those doing?"

He said, "Mummy, they're working on the railway like you do."

Cool!

There'll be another 100 nights like this before all the worn out rail is replaced

between Northampton and London.

-TANNOY:

-The 09.15 Northern service to Hadfield will now depart from platform 4.

It's morning rush hour at Manchester Piccadilly.

Bristol train, platform 6. Which is that one just there.

Next set of stairs, downstairs.

As much as some people moan about being in here sometimes,

I genuinely love my job and enjoy it

which, on the record, you know, I do quite like the odd train.

-Do you know where I can buy ticket?

-Ticket office.

Yeah. OK.

You're welcome(!)

-Hello!

-Hi, mate. The next train to Euston?

Will be at 13.55 if you're sharpish, platform 7.

It does irritate me.

I wouldn't dream of asking anybody for anything and not utilising some manners at least.

You're seen as a uniform, not actually a person.

Next train to Darlington?

To Darlington? 17.56. Platform numero 3.

-Thank you very much.

-No worries, pal.

See? Why can't everybody be like that?

Just be, "You know what, mate. Nice one. Thank you for doing the job you do."

Everybody just wants to go home now. Nobody's bothered about anyone else.

You can make as many announcements as you want

to say shuffle back from the platform edge, let people off first.

No, they just want to get on and go home. Not bothered.

WHISTLE

-Hello.

-I bought this ticket. Is this what I need to get on the train?

It is indeed. 19.15. Platform 5.

Which end will the first class be on?

-It'll be the far end.

-The far end. Thank you.

Did he sound like Kermit the Frog or is it just me?

Kermit the Frog! Hello!

-Do you know when the next train to Wigan is?

-Twenty past eight.

-What?

-You've just missed one.

-Is there not one at quarter to?

-Hello.

-Going to Wilmslow, please.

-Wilmslow.

I keep doing them burps. 19.30. Platform number 8.

Oh my God. Isn't there no train before that?

-No, it's the next one.

-Sorry?

-That's the next one.

-I'm pretty certain, yeah.

-I thought there was one earlier.

-Not another train or anything?

-It's only 24 minutes!

-Honest to God?

-Yeah. You just missed one.

OK?

It's not that much of a shock. Christ!

Everybody's in such a rush.

"I've got to be there now, man! I've got to go!"

I avoid queuing up and asking people for things now.

Because I know what it's like to be sat here.

Did you say there was one from Victoria at quarter to?

No, not at quarter to.

It's at ten past the hour.

So...

Saying I once heard, it's nice to be important but it's important to be nice.

I've had enough of the lot of you!

HE LAUGHS

Matt is on the 13.06 Birmingham service to London.

All tickets, please.

As train manager, his role involves more than checking tickets.

He's also responsible for the safety of all passengers and crew.

And he's the first port of call when there's a problem on board.

That's very hard braking, that one.

When the brakes go on like that, you expect the driver to bing bong you.

If it does then... Fingers crossed.

Hi, driver. You all right?

Oh, right, thank you, cheers.

The driver has got a dragging brake in coach G.

So that might mean I have to do rotation tests

which means going on to the track.

This is Matt, your train manager speaking.

I've just spoken to the driver of the train.

He's currently investigating a possible technical problem with the train at the moment.

We'd like to apologise for the delay that's incurred today

and any inconvenience this may cause.

Please await further announcements. Thank you.

-INTERVIEWER:

-How's that going to go down?

Er, we're only on minute two so fine now.

And then it just goes like... It's like a boiling kettle.

Can you imagine I've just turned the kettle on.

It's just fizzing.

As it goes towards the end of the cycle, big bubbles!

I'll just pop this on anyway. Or I'll take it with me.

And then hang around the driver

should he require me to do some exciting trackside challenge!

Hello!

OK, on my way. Thanks.

Driver requires my assistance.

And I'm thinking it's not to make him a brew.

Obviously I feel sorry for people that are being delayed

but I do like a bit of drama sometimes.

Is that bad?

Thank you.

I've got to do this rotational test.

I'll watch you out, I'll shut my door.

I'll look out the window here.

You've got to mark the wheel, make sure they're turning.

Both wheels if you can.

And once we've done that I'll put my head back out.

I'll move about ten yards.

It's the first ever, first ever.

-With a running line. Well, not a running line.

-It's mine as well!

Mind the step there, OK?

Do you want me to come with you?

Which wheels? Yeah, please, yeah.

From trackside Matt can check whether the brakes are working.

Why would someone move the train about 20 inches?

We're going from Coventry to the capital city, yeah?

And it ain't working, is it?

Hi there, it's Matt the train manager on 1-Bravo-4-6.

I know! I'm enjoying it, though, it's dead exciting!

-TANNOY:

-Once again apologies to customers travelling on the Virgin services today.

150 miles away at Euston,

Matt's broken down train is already causing chaos.

With trains scheduled so tightly together,

a massive traffic jam quickly builds.

And this afternoon, Matt's train isn't the only problem on the West Coast Main Line.

There's a track circuit failure outside the station.

There's two failed trains further up the line and a points failure.

-Oh good (!)

-How long do you reckon it's going to be?

-So far it's been 15 minutes to an hour.

-An hour?!

33 is cancelled.

Euston.

Absolutely mental today.

I came in, it was all simmering nicely, it was calm. Suddenly, bang.

You just announced that the 14 minutes past was going to all the stations as the 54 one.

On the screens it's not saying that so I don't want to get on it.

Bravo 2 to all Virgin platform staff.

Please advise all departing drivers

not to go above notch 3 between Euston and...

Ring back in ten minutes, we might have something for you.

Just got a message to run like a maniac to platform 16 for the Hemel Hempstead train.

Loads of us run down there to see the guard letting a half-empty train go.

We said, "What are you doing?" He said, "It's running late."

It's a farce!

Very busy. Disruptions always cause busy-ness.

It's been challenging to say the least.

Platforms are occupied so everything's getting re-platformed.

So everyone's trying to juggle it all at once.

Then you've got staff not knowing where they're supposed to go.

Where the drivers and TMs should be.

You've got to get them in the right place so it's a pain in the...

What we looking for?

I need to get to Shrewsbury. Is there no way?

It is a relatively awful service, isn't it? I do feel sorry for you.

They're probably not paying you enough anyway.

On Matt's train, the driver has confirmed the brakes are fine

and it was just a computer glitch.

And they're finally on their way.

I have got a bit of an adrenalin buzz over that, I really have!

But passengers are now over an hour late getting to London.

-We're going to the palace.

-To the tea party.

-The tea party.

-You can't be late for the queen, can you?

-Goodness me, no!

She won't start without us, she's very good.

Ladies and gentlemen, you won't believe this but this service is now arriving into London Euston.

I do apologise for the severe delay to your journey.

Thanks for travelling with us, hopefully in better circumstances next time.

The train's arrived but the knock-on delays will continue for the rest of the evening.

Hold ups in one part of the country

cause ripple effects that can be felt hundreds of miles away.

Birmingham New Street is Britain's busiest interchange station.

Today, passengers are waiting for late-running trains.

And staff in the signal box

think an incident over 100 miles away is to blame.

1-0-4-7.

Due to a fatality somewhere down Exeter.

A fatality.

Exeter. OK.

That's affected all the trains in Exeter and the trains that are now affecting us.

But Exeter, what are you looking at? 150 miles away?

So an incident that's happened in Exeter

is now affecting us in the Birmingham area at 12 o'clock already.

It's Satnam's job to find out the reason behind every single delay.

Not just to keep the passengers informed

but because for every minute a train is delayed,

there's a fine of up to £200.

And there are complex rules about whether the train company

or Network Rail, in charge of track and signalling, foots the bill.

It's all in monetary terms because the train operating company,

if it's their fault, they have to pay.

If it's Network Rail's fault, i.e. infrastructure problems,

then we have to pay.

So the end cause is to try to save money.

-INTERVIEWER:

-So who's the fatality down to?

At the moment, a fatality, that's going to be down to Network Rail.

So Network Rail will take the cost.

This is the bible and this tells you all the reasons that the trains are late.

The easiest one, signal failure.

Which is IA. And I think everybody knows that one.

Trespass, young children, in holiday times.

Network Rail get the costs for that.

Animal incursion, animals on the line,

lightning strikes, you can have lightning strikes.

Bird strikes. It all depends on the size of the bird.

If a bird is bigger than a pheasant, obviously,

then Network Rail will pay for costs

and if it's smaller than a pheasant they'll hit the train operating companies

because Network Rail can't be accountable for flying birds.

The pheasant is the benchmark.

Anything that's bigger than a pheasant, we'll take the hit.

-INTERVIEWER:

-Literally!

-Yes!

So you've got 12 pages.

That is... It's been nicknamed... There's two names on it.

It's a Dennis and Beech beating stick.

So if they make mistakes, the signal men, I've got the use of this,

to make sure that they do correctly.

Dennis is on the middle screen but he's done pretty good today.

I haven't had to beat him today so he's been working well today.

HE LAUGHS

BELL

Some people would say it's a culture of blame,

some would say a culture of accountability,

depending what they're getting out of it or what they stand to lose.

You've got a table of people all trying to apportion blame to each other.

And then the bottom man, me, or the driver,

or the guard or some other signal man,

he gets his bum kicked.

We're just easy people to blame when something goes wrong.

We're all aware of that and all watching our backs now

in a way that we never used to have to.

It can be more than stress sometimes, it can be serious anxiety.

I've lost a lot of sleep over it.

BELL

Delayed minutes aren't the only change Martin's noticed

during his nearly 30 years on the railway.

In the house as a kid, we never wore shoes and socks.

But my boss now, Dave, he had a long-winded campaign against me

not wearing shoes and socks for health and safety issue.

He started sending spies up to check up on me.

So eventually I had to bite the bullet and wear shoes and socks.

As you can see, I always wear shoes and socks in the signal box.

It's May Bank Holiday and the West Coast main line is closed.

There was a train running across that a few hours ago.

HORN

Sounds like Thomas the Tank. Beep beep!

Sounds like Gordon shunting in the yard.

Major planned engineering works here at Hertford junction

mean no trains will run south from Manchester or Liverpool

for the next two days.

-Can we drop any machines in yet?

-I'll ask them how long.

-We can start dropping in, though, can't we?

-As soon as it goes past.

This fucking... That rail's in the way.

-That's in the fucking way.

-The ladders?

-Yeah.

Working around the clock, Andy and the team have just 56 hours

to overhaul the layout of this complex junction.

Lads! Lads! Right!

Once finished, trains will run faster over the points.

Andy, how far we got to go, mate?

Squeezing a few extra minutes from the schedule.

Just move them whackers over a bit, please.

Just jump on this, quick. Will you jump on that for us quick?

That'll do. Drop them there, son. Cheers, Keith, ta.

Network Rail has spent months planning and giving advance warning there'd be no trains.

Keep it coming, nice and slow.

Might have to lift it a bit more there, mate.

To get over them whackers.

But despite the closures, the FA chose this weekend for the cup final at Wembley

between Liverpool and Chelsea.

Much to the dismay of the Liverpudlians.

I don't want to talk about it.

Couldn't get leave and all the other lads got leave.

Couple have gone. I just spoke to my mate then, gone to Wembley.

So I'm here.

I've got two phones. One of my mates is going to ring me,

and tell me how it's getting on.

Come on, Liverpool's biggest fan.

-Here when his side's in the cup final.

-Fuck off, knobhead.

At Euston, it's an unusually quiet Saturday night.

Not everyone has heard the West Coast Main Line is closed.

-I don't think there's any trains for tomorrow to Manchester.

-What?

-There's no trains to Manchester tonight.

-Not tonight.

Liverpool fans arrive after the match expecting to catch a train home.

Their team's just lost the FA Cup. And now they're stranded.

-No trains tonight, sir.

-Are you serious?

Yes, sir.

-You are serious, aren't you?

-No more trains.

Now I'm fucked!

There's no trains. It's been advertised for ages.

We can't get home.

So now we've got to pay mega millions of pounds to stay in London.

And we've just had a lousy Chinese.

LAUGHTER

It gets worse as the night goes on!

That's all we've got to show for today.

They don't care about Scousers.

They just go, you get on with it.

Got no more money left, nowhere to stay.

So it looks like I'm going to have to stay at yours.

You'll have to put us up.

It's Sunday morning.

All clear at the back. All clear at the back.

The team are halfway through the engineering work.

All clear at the back. All clear at the back.

At Euston, passengers still arrive oblivious to the limited train schedule.

Going to Warrington Bank Quay.

-You've got a journey and a half.

-Oh no.

Can you tell me what the first train out to Hemel Hempstead is today?

Your next train to Hemel won't be until after two o'clock.

Why could I buy tickets for £121? And then not get on a train.

I would have flown otherwise.

Bank Holiday engineering work is never popular.

But packed train schedules during working days mean there's no other option.

Bravo 2 receiving.

In theory, fewer people travel.

And yes, it's a massive inconvenience

for customers who want to travel.

It's one of those things. It has to be done.

And it's very hard trying to get it done without inconveniencing somebody,

and it's trying to do it at the best possible time.

There's no easy way without inconveniencing somebody.

Hello! You look really distressed.

I'm massively distressed. What's the deal with the Manchester trains?

Manchester, you have to change at Nuneaton.

You'll get there by ten to four.

Going via Nuneaton. That's a four-hour journey.

Fuck off!

We can't go. They cancelled all the trains.

OK.

I blame the unions. How about working at night, lazy fucks!

People think we're lazy.

We have a job to do, we do it to the best of our ability, I'm afraid.

Sometimes that means holding the public up but...

What would you rather have, a train that runs properly or...

one over in that field?

At Hertford junction, work is running two hours behind schedule.

The team know that if they don't reopen the line on time,

the delays could be so big they'll become headline news.

Are you ready to start tamping now?

-As soon as it's profiled, yeah.

-Backs against the wall!

A lot of these guys will understand about delay and what it causes.

You know, they all feel the pressure at some point.

Start tamping it to lift them off the fucking clips!

The clips will be fucking shown!

Watch yourselves here, lads!

There's only another eight hours to go tonight. Plenty of time.

In just a few hours,

the 5.58 from Glasgow will be speeding through here

on its way to London.

Tonight, the fairies will be in.

Doing everything with a sprinkling of fairy dust.

Hopefully be back running at half past nine in the morning.

Hopefully.

HE LAUGHS

Up at Blea Moor, Simon knows it's only a matter of time

before his box is also modernised

and moved to a hi-tech signalling centre in the city.

I can't see me having to relocate to somewhere like that.

Looking at panels and stuff.

It's not for me, that, I don't think.

There's no one about, it's great.

You can go where you want without blooming people annoying you.

You're in your own little world.

You can't be more in your own little world than all these idiots with mobile phones

with these things in their ears talking all the time.

They're in a different planet. You can't any conversation out of anyone.

So to me it's a different version of that.

You're in your own little world. You don't want disturbing.

That's how I look at it.

I wish it were a mile or so further to really put people off!

Bit further. Totally inaccessible would be even better, like.

It suits someone just like me.

It's the end of the summer and at Euston there've been big changes for Jeannie.

WHISTLE

She's no longer checking tickets and is now working on the platforms despatching trains.

It's been a massive change. But it's been a good change.

Making sure that bad boy gets out on time.

If a train goes out late, we will have people knocking on our door

saying, "Why did that go out late?"

Cos every minute counts.

So it's a different type of stress.

I would see it as promotion. I like to think of it as a promotion!

But Jeannie's promotion hasn't brought as much security as she'd hoped.

Virgin's franchise to run the long-distance trains has expired

and no one knows who'll run it next.

Least of all the staff on the front line.

It's just the unknown.

So I suppose it's a case of feeling a bit numb at the moment

because you're not sure what's happening

and whether to feel ecstatic or upset or whatever.

It's a really strange mixed bag of emotion.

The only certainty is they'll be handling more passengers wanting more trains

on the West Coast Main Line.

Whoever gets it, they're going to want us driving a lot.

They're going to want a pound of flesh out of us.

The trains are already faster.

Bigger. They just want more.

WHISTLE

Change is scary. We don't know which way it'll go.

So because of that I think there's some very nervous energy around the station right now.

WHISTLE

Time's kind of ticking away slowly.

And normally on the railway it ticks by pretty fast.

We always hope that the best man wins, don't we? So we'll see.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd