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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Helena Vesty & Charlotte Hadfield

Passengers desperately squeeze onto packed out last train home to Liverpool

The last train to Liverpool was packed out with passengers as people tried desperately to get home on Saturday.

A video appeared to show crowds clamouring for the last train from Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street which was due to depart at 11.28pm.

Huge crowds were reported on platform 14 as people were seen jumping over barriers to make their train. It came as people from across the country visited Manchester on Saturday for concerts including The Weeknd at the Etihad and Roger Waters at the AO Arena, the MEN reports.

READ MORE: Met Office issues 18 hour thunderstorm warning for Merseyside

Ricardo Mendonca: “It was awful, it was just packed. I had just gone for a couple of drinks with friends in town, I knew about Parklife but had forgotten completely about the football.

"Lots of people were trying to get back home, especially on that train to Liverpool Lime Street - it was the last chance to get home until 8am. Before we got to platform 14, there were members of staff bringing a barrier to the platform where the screens at the top of the stairs tell you to wait before your train is there.

"But there were so many people going past the barriers or jumping over them. I went past because I was worried my train was about to leave – I never imagined I would walk down to see these crowds at the platform.”

Ricardo Mendonca had to walk almost all the way back to Eccles after the travel chaos (Ricardo Mendonca)

“One of the doors on the train wouldn’t close because there were too many people near the door so the sensors kept being triggered to open. The train left around half an hour late.

“Lots of people just gave up immediately but there were so many people who were still trying, because they didn’t have another option, or couldn’t afford a taxi or hotel. The police were there asking people to get off the train so it could depart, but some people were still trying to get on.

“I had to walk back - I spoke to a police officer who said that’s what I’d probably have to do, the last tram had already gone by the time I left the platform. Uber was costing £50 at least, and that was just to get to Eccles - it’s only six miles and would usually cost £12. Imagine if you had to go all the way to Liverpool?

“I walked almost all the way home, I stumbled across a scooter with around a mile to go and used that to finish off. It was about two hours of walking, I arrived back home at about 3am. I can definitely feel my legs today.”

Northern and Transport for Greater Manchester have been contacted for comment.

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