A National Express coach carrying Manchester festival-goers to Boomtown broke down on the A31 on Wednesday, August 12, forcing passengers to walk miles across fields in scorching heat to reach the festival gates.
Coach breakdown on A31
Oldham mum Michelle said her daughter Neve was travelling on the service, which left Manchester city centre at 8:30am and was scheduled to arrive at the Hampshire festival by 2pm. But the coach suffered a serious breakdown on the A31, with passengers forced off the bus with all their belongings several miles from the festival site.
National Express said they dispatched a replacement coach to transport passengers the remaining distance but that most passengers decided to walk.
Passengers stranded in heat
Michelle said the coach was 'absolutely rammed'. "It was evacuated and everyone was chucked off it with their bags," she said. "The driver did one, the air conditioning unit had set on fire and they were all sitting on one side of a dual carriageway."
National Express insisted that the fault was related to a 'burst coolant pipe' which did not lead to a fire or release any smoke, and that the driver 'remained on site to co-ordinate recovery efforts' after walking 'a short distance to secure a signal'.
"They were sat in the shade with no water," Michelle said. "We tried to contact National Express but were just told to fill in a form and make a complaint."
Walk to festival and apology
Michelle said the festival-goers were eventually moved along by Hampshire Police as they were said to be 'blocking' a public access road and in an unsafe location. "They had to walk about three miles in the heat. Some farmers came and helped them carry their bags," she said.
Neve, who was travelling alone, did not make it to the festival until after 7pm. "She wasn't well and had to be seen by medics. We couldn't speak to a human, it was just a chatbot telling us to fill in a form."
A spokesperson for National Express confirmed that the 8.30am Festivals & Events service from Manchester to Boomtown Festival on 12 August broke down on the A31 'due to a burst coolant pipe that emitted steam'. "The driver remained on-site to coordinate recovery and request assistance," the company said. "Following police guidance, most passengers chose to walk the remaining distance to the festival, while a replacement coach was dispatched to transport those who preferred to wait. Our staff met passengers upon arrival at the festival to provide water and further assistance. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers is always our highest priority. While these incidents are rare, we sincerely apologise for the disruption our customers experienced on their journey."
Hampshire Police has been contacted for a statement.
