Air con on my Greater Anglia train wasn’t working – can I get compensation?
The air-conditioning on my overcrowded train was not on, leaving the passengers suffering from heat exhaustion – can we get redress for such a terrible journey?
- Air conditioning on a Greater Anglia service did not work on a hot day
- The previous service had been canceled making it overcrowded
- Can customers who have experienced inconvenience claim compensation?
On Wednesday I was on the 5.54pm train from London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria. The temperature had risen to 28 degrees that day.
The train in front had been canceled due to signal problems and that meant it was seriously overcrowded, with hardly any room to stand.
While that happens occasionally, the real problem was a lack of air conditioning on the train – it wasn’t on and the temperature inside was much higher than outside.
I would even say that the temperature in the carriage was dangerously high and the passengers were having a very hard time.
Too Close for Comfort: Customers on the service were subject to uncomfortable temperatures due to faulty air-conditioning and an overcrowded carriage due to a train cancellation on the service before
This was never a problem in the past… but Greater Anglia, the operator, has new trains with windows that no longer open.
The 45 minute journey was like a static hot yoga session and in my opinion Greater Anglia is lucky no one passed out from heat exhaustion.
What are train users’ rights when it comes to temperature in transport – and can passengers claim compensation? Via email
Helen Kirrane from This is Money answers: That sounds like a very uncomfortable and sticky journey for passengers to endure.
In hot weather, being crammed into a train and having to stand with dozens of other passengers with no air conditioning or at least a breeze from a window isn’t ideal – especially given the high train fares.
Greater Anglia added brand new trains to their fleet in 2019 with air conditioning and more spacious carriages.
Your trip was a perfect storm of the train before the 5:54pm shift you were on was canceled due to a signaling issue, leaving your shift extremely busy and the air conditioning not working to top it all off.
I have asked the Greater Anglia train company what happened – and your rights of redress.
New trains: The new stock has no windows that open – and if the air conditioning doesn’t work, it could lead to seriously hot carriages
A Greater Anglia spokesperson replies: We apologize to anyone who experienced any inconvenience on board the 5:54pm Liverpool Street service to Southend Victoria last night.
One of the trains on the 17:54 service had a fault in the onboard air conditioning, meaning it was not doing enough power while it was working.
This train has since been withdrawn from passenger service in order to repair the system.
In general, the air conditioning in our new trains is very effective, but we will do everything we can to keep disruptions like this to a minimum.
A signaling problem between Shenfield and Southend Victoria caused some disruption, which also resulted in some trains being busier than usual. We apologize for the inconvenience to those affected.
Anyone who has had an unsatisfactory journey with us can contact us directly, either through our deferred refund process or contactcentre@greateranglia.co.uk, and we will always aim to provide a helpful response.
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group answers: We want customers to have a comfortable journey, which can be challenging during periods of hot weather. National Rail has published advice on how to travel safely during the summer.
In general, customers are not automatically compensated unless their train is delayed or cancelled, as set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel (NRCoT).
Customers can make a complaint to their train company if their journey was not satisfactory and train companies will look at each case individually.
If customers are not satisfied with a train company’s response, they can submit a complaint to the Railway Ombudsman.
Consumer champion Martyn James answers: There is no defined temperature that is ‘too hot’ for heat waves and transport.
As soon as we start with the higher temperatures, health and safety rules start to work.
Last year we saw a slew of cancellations after the air con broke down on some overland trains and the crew decided it was unsafe to continue and canceled the service.
Larger trains have the capacity to shut down carriages where air con is wrapped in, but this isn’t a practical reality for commuters and things like the subway that don’t have air con.
So in short, if the crew or driver decides that the transport has reached a ‘dangerous’ level, they can cancel the service for safety reasons.
I think you should get a refund and replacement transport under these circumstances.