Everyday Super Heroes: First Great Western Oxford Station Staff

These Super hero pants are awarded to the FGW Oxford station staff for looking after 400 schoolchildren after their train had broken down. Even ordinary people wear their pants on the outside some of the time. Well done to not just the station staff but Thames Valley Police, British Transport Police and not forgetting the teachers and chaperones in the party.

The Schoolchildren from eleven different schools were returning home from Bath to Birmingham when the train's breaks failed just outside Oxford station. The train was a charter run by Rivieria trains with rolling stock and locomotive power from EWS.

The engineers tried to repair the train but failed, while this was going on the kids were left on the train for 3 1/2 hours. I hate to think what it was like on board.

The children were eventually taken off the train and walked to Oxford Station to await onward transport home. At this point you would have thought that the nightmare was over, but it continued.

First Great Western even though it was not their train or their passengers and arguably not their responsibility offered to arrange buses for the entire party. Riviera trains said they would sort it out themselves. However the buses were then late and not enough turned up.

The children had to bed down in the station after it was closed and again FGW staff came through by staying on to ensure the station could remain open and that the children were safe. Four station staff stayed on and two others were called in to assist.

By 3:30 am 40 children were left be waved on their way and FGW staff again stepped in, took charge and ordered them all taxis.

So three times in one night FGW and their staff went out of their way to make sure the children were safe in Oxford and got home. The Staff on that night are a credit to the company and super heroes to the children.

PC Burrows of British Transport Police tells the Oxford Mail how it was:

"They were led Pied Piper style, a stream of 400 to 500 children, through the streets of Oxford late at night through the revellers. "

Obviously 'pied piper' style is the approved method of leading children taught at the police training college.

The other thing that strikes me about this quote is you can imagine all the children in single file being lead through the Saturday night drunks, must have been quite an unusual sight.

PC Burrows had the following to say about the FGW staff:

"Those working at Oxford worked incredibly professionally, many without pay."

An FGW spokesperson also told the mail:

"They did not want to see the kids stranded."

Which I think is a bit understated for the trouble the staff went to to look after the kids.

So congratulations to the FGW staff involved on winning the super hero pants and proving that ordinary people can be heroes too.

On one final note PC Burrows has this to say regarding the management and organisation of the private company involved in the charter train:

"In relation to the management and organisation from the private operator we do not have a comment to make at this stage but we will be taking it further with the company concerned."

I would think the police, the schools and the parents take a very dim view of any company that would strand 400 kids. The Managing Director of that company should be ashamed of himself and his company.