Thread by @FrancyneJohnson

48 hours ago, I was on the headline news Corby East Midlands train emergency for 13 HOURS. Profits before people, dangerous decisions & illegal flood levels lead to a terrifying ordeal that should never have happened.

A thread 👇(1/25)

Got the train from Sheffield at 13:59, going to St. Pancras. All straightforward until around 16:00. Unforeseen circumstances meant we waited at Leicester. After 30 mins, they decided to reroute onto a seldom used track to get us to London quickly. The first bad decision. (2/25)

The Met Office had issued 51 flood warnings for this precise area that day. The track was deep between grassy banks with miles of old tunnel that tightly hugs trains, like the tube. In FLOOD CONDITIONS! Not long out of Leicester we got trapped, you guessed it, in a flood. (3/25)

I struggle to believe how flooded tracks this severe could have developed in the 20 minutes from leaving Leicester. It wasn't even raining that heavily at this point either. It must have been flooded when we were directed on this route? (4/25)

Soon after, we hear another rerouted train has been HIT BY LANDSLIDING BANKS. They get stranded right next to us. So, landslide one way - flood another. An emergency is called. (5/25)

https://twitter.com/Katie_Cronin/status/1139239771971170306

A third train gets stuck behind us. Hundreds of passengers are evacuated from the other two and crammed onto our train. It was complete chaos. People standing, sitting, under tables; every available space was taken. (6/25)

Hours pass. Trapped, packed in like sardines. The tunnel we travelled out of Leicester via is announced as 'FLOODED WAY ABOVE THE LEGAL LIMIT' for travel. (7/25)

THEN, the driver announces that the train companies are instructing him to go back to Leicester VIA THE TUNNEL!!! By this point I'm seriously worried. There's a reason why there's a legal limit, electricity and water don't mix! (8/25)

The driver re-enters. Soon, we get stuck in the flooded tunnel as the water is too deep to carry on. Looking out, I could see that the brick walls were a matter of inches from the train. We could not get out. We were terrified. (9/25)

People began to visibly panic. It was hot, stuffy and airless. Miraculously, I got reception and made what I honestly thought would be my last call to my partner Joe. (10/25)

After an eternity, the train driver decides to reverse out. This was seemingly despite announcements that the train company's instructions were to CARRY ON through the heavily flooded tunnel. (11/25)

I want to take a moment to say the train driver was an absolute HERO. Throughout this, the most terrifying part, we felt like we were in as safe hands as we could be with the driver. (12/25)

Alive, and back to the starting stranded point with the other two abandoned trains. It's getting dark. We're stationary again for more hours. Terrified that the train companies were going to make more dangerous decisions, I squeezed my way through the carriages... (13/25)

I found one of the police officers who joined us when passengers from the two abandoned trains were packed onto ours. He tells me that they had wanted to evacuate hours ago, IN THE DAYLIGHT, but that the train companies had disagreed!!! (14/25)

All this time we STILL HAD TO PAY FOR DRINKS AND FOOD!!!!! Some bottles of water were given. HOW MUCH PROFIT DID EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS MAKE LAST YEAR? People had babies with them; were passing out; and others had health conditions with no access to their medications. (15/25)

ONLY AT THIS POINT DID THEY DECIDE FINALLY TO EVACUATE. It must have been about 21:00. (16/25)

Oh and the BBC were reporting we'd been rescued! Nope, still trapped, in what was now turning into something resembling a disaster movie. Or is that just Tory Britain? (17/25)

We heard the sirens and a huuuge emergency response was underway. MASSIVE MASSIVE THANKS to all the emergency services. Police, paramedics and firefighters - you were all amazing. Our public services are again picking up the pieces from the failings of private companies. (18/25)

We were ladder rescued out of the train, then trudged through muddy fields to fire engines & buses waiting to take us to Kettering station. There was a relief effort here, giving out drinks & snacks. Now in the early hours, we get on a replacement train to St Pancras. (19/25)

Unsurprisingly, we have to stop due to another medical emergency on board - people have now been without proper food and medications for 12 hours! We wait for emergency services, now in Luton. One man told me he had a serious heart condition and no access to his tablets. (20/25)

After 13 hours, we finally arrive at St Pancras. I spot two night workers. I go and speak to them, both trade unionists, and I tell them the horrendous story. None of it surprises them - in the slightest. (21/25)

This is where my account ends. The awesome Uncle Brian, retired lifelong primary school teacher, rescues me at 3.30am. He even has some tea ready for me in the microwave! He joins me in shared rage about the Tories on the drive home. (22/25)

Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for @transportgovuk, you have a lot to answer for. Your 2016 reforms stripped Network Rail of their controls and increased the role of private companies, part of your plans to fully privatise the network. #FailingGrayling (23/25)

@UKLabour brought Network Rail back under public control again, because of so many safety issues when Tories privatised it the first time round! Now they're back for another try at putting our lives on the line. #Renationalise (24/25)

These 13 hours have been a prime example of why privatising public services is SO dangerous. Privatisation puts profit before people's lives.

Most of what’s been reported doesn’t match what I experienced. We need a full investigation into what happened at Corby.

(25/25)

[P.S. @Katie_Cronin - you are the exception to the unfamiliar reporting. A friend signposted me to your twitter and it is diligent & accurate. Thank you for you empathy as well as your reporting.]