A claustrophobic passenger on her way to a Hyrox fitness event had to be cut out of a train toilet by firefighters after being trapped there for nearly two hours.
Robin Smith, 35, found herself stuck on a CrossCountry rail service from Southampton to Manchester Piccadilly after the electronic doors failed to open.
Despite almost fainting twice due to her claustrophobia, train staff told Miss Smith that calling the fire brigade would hold up an already delayed service.
‘I asked the female attendant when it would be appropriate to call the fire service as this was clearly a fire risk,’ Miss Smith said.
‘She replied that the train had already been delayed by an hour and a half – as if that took precedence over my safety.’
Staff attempted to pull at the door and even retrieved an axe to try and break what they thought was blocking the it.
After she threatened to call the fire service herself, train attendants requested the assistance of firefighters.
They arrived on the scene at Oxford station and used a saw to cut through a gap big enough for Miss Smith to crawl out of.
Robin Smith, 35, found herself stuck in the toilet on a CrossCountry rail service from Southampton to Manchester Piccadilly after the electronic doors failed to open
Firefighters in Oxford used a saw to cut through a gap big enough for Miss Smith to crawl out of
Miss Smith said: ‘The firemen worked really quickly. They immediately asked if I was okay, for my name, and whether I was happy to give them ten minutes to see if they could open the door without damage.
‘I was content to wait a further ten minutes as I felt like I was now in safe hands. When that time was up, and it was clear the door could not be opened, the firemen immediately got to work and cut an opening in the door. They were excellent.
‘I am so claustrophobic, it was just immediate relief being able to get out.’
Robin, from Southampton, was travelling to a Hyrox event, a fitness race that includes running and weightlifting workouts, last Saturday with her boyfriend Angus Jones.
She was placed in first class for the remainder of her £89 journey.
‘I am severely claustrophobic and on two occasions I had to lie on the floor as I was concerned I would faint,’ Miss Smith told NeedtoKnow.
‘While the staff were helpful and trying to do something to release me from the bathroom, it was clear that neither party had any idea what to do.
‘No one had control of the situation.
‘From inside the toilet, it just sounded like chaos outside.
‘The toilets are designed for disabled access and it’s concerning that there are no procedures in place to extract someone in an emergency, or a child, or me if I fainted.’
For ten minutes the firefighters attempted to open the door without damage but it was clear the door would not budge
The fire service used hydraulic cutting gear and a reciprocal saw to release Robin Smith from the train toilet
She added: ‘My Apple Watch had been going mad because my heart rate was so raised for the entire period I was locked in.’
A spokesman for CrossCountry said: ‘We’re sorry to passengers affected by a technical fault on one of our trains on Saturday.
‘While incidents like this are rare, our onboard colleagues are trained to deal with them safely and worked closely with station staff and emergency services to resolve the situation.
‘All passengers were able to continue their journeys, including the customer directly involved, who travelled on our next northbound service from Oxford.’
A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said: ‘Oxfordshire County Council’s fire and rescue service sent a fire engine from its Rewley Road fire station to Oxford railway station.
‘Crews used hydraulic cutting gear and a reciprocal saw to release a person trapped in a train toilet on platform 3.’
