Passengers trapped inside Olton train station for more than an hour cheered as police and firefighters finally pulled up the shutters to free them just before 12.50am on Sunday (June 7).
Midnight Ordeal
Around 22 travellers got off the last train from Birmingham at 11.52pm on Saturday (June 6) only to find the station's shutters locked down, preventing any exit. After failing to contact rail staff via emergency buttons, they dialed 999 for help.
Chris Godwin and his wife were among those caught up in the incident. He said: "We got into Olton just before midnight. There were about 25 of us getting off and as we walked down the steps, the shutters were down so effectively we couldn't get out. We tried getting them open but they were locked from the other side. There were no windows we could open, no other way of getting out."
Police and Fire Crew Response
West Midlands Police arrived with a fire crew and pried open the shutters to loud cheers. Mr Godwin said they waited around 40 minutes before calling 999 again for an update. The police and fire engine took about 10 minutes to open the shutters.
He added: "Luckily everyone there was pretty relaxed, but as time went on, getting close to an hour, people were getting a bit panicky. Thankfully no one urgently needed to get home or was disabled, drunk, or disorderly."
Railway Apology
West Midlands Railway (WMR) apologised for the blunder, which occurred because some stations on the network are locked overnight to prevent antisocial behaviour or rough sleeping. A spokesperson said: "We are very sorry to passengers who were unable to exit Olton station in a timely manner on Saturday evening. We are investigating the circumstances in order to prevent any recurrence."
