Commuters faint on packed train as 'livestock are treated better than passengers'

A commuter has described how she she fainted on a train because passengers were packed in so tight.

Twenty year-old Issy Austin lost consciousness on a packed morning train from Glossop to Manchester Piccadilly.

Student Issy was travelling to Manchester University last week on the 0.752am service.

However, the train was packed more than normal because the previous service had been cancelled.

Due to the heat and lack of breathing space, Issy and another passenger fainted.

Now High Peak MP Jon Pearce has secured a meeting with Northern Rail to discuss why services are overcrowded on the line.

Issy said: "“I managed to squeeze onto this boiling hot cramped train as I needed 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.”

The MP says livestock have better protections when being transported than commuters.

Northern Rail have also been cancelling a number of trains at rush hour times which often leaves commuters taking to social media to express their frustration with one Facebook user commenting: “This is becoming a joke now, it’s several times a week”. With another frustrated individual saying: “Something needs to be done about these trains, it’s always Glossop.”

Mr Pearce added: “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 that is. 

“I’ve experienced delayed and cancelled trains all too often myself trying to get home from Parliament but nothing like what happened the other week on the early morning train from Glossop to Manchester.

“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 at the moment.

“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 their services.”