Mariella Frostrup livid as she's forced to sit on GWR train floor despite 1st class ticket
Mariella Frostrup shared her fury at being forced to sit on the floor outside of a toilet on a GWR train, despite having paid for a first class ticket.
TV presenter Mariella Frostrup has voiced her frustration after a less than satisfactory journey on a Great Western Railway (GWR) train. Despite holding a first class ticket, the 61-year-old was forced to sit on the floor near the toilet during her two-hour trip from Tiverton Parkway to Paddington.
Returning to London after a wellness retreat in Devon, the BBC star had treated herself to a first class ticket. However, she found herself without a seat on the packed train and took to social media to express her disappointment.
On X, she posted: "New lows for @GWRHelp A first class advance ticket buys you a seat on floor outside the toilet in a train where it's standing room from front to rear... I'm getting back in my car."
When Mariella confronted the train manager, she told him: "It’s really disappointing. For once, I paid out for a first-class ticket and I’m so tired of this completely unprofessional service."
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Empathising with her, the train manager urged Mariella to seek a refund, later adding: "It’s not just unprofessional, it’s inhuman." An hour and a half into her journey, she shared another photo of herself working on the floor.
Accompanying a picture of her laptop balanced on her bag and herself kneeling on a newspaper, Mariella wrote: "Is photo proof @gwrhelp that I've just sat on the floor from Tiverton Parkway to Paddington DESPITE holding a first class ticket?
"I've just been told (after queuing at your Padd tix office for 15 mins) that I need to write and request compensation! Could you make it any harder?" The comments section beneath Mariella's posts erupted with comments, reports Devon Live.
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One individual remarked: "When you travel by coach or plane you get allocated a seat. For short urban journeys it's fine not to get allocated a seat. For longer intercity journeys it's one of the scandals and cons about the modern British Railway that you pay a premium and aren't even guaranteed a seat."
Another chimed in: "The compensation should be automatic. They know the info and should be expected to pay." A different user pointed out: "Probably cheaper to drive, fuel and park than the cost of the ticket."
On behalf of Great Western Railway, a representative expressed their apologies, saying: "We are really sorry to hear of the customer's experience. If you have reserved a seat but are not able to sit down, you are entitled to compensation and we will follow this up."