Calne train firm rescues holidaymakers from stricken ship (From This Is Wiltshire)

Calne train firm rescues holidaymakers from stricken ship

6:45am Tuesday 14th July 2009 in

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Staff at a train chartering company near Calne found themselves in the middle of a national rescue operation last week as they were called to remove passengers from a cruise ship at the centre of a vomiting bug outbreak.

Managing director Simon Pielow, of Train Chartering in Lyneham, had less than a day to find a 700-seater train to return passengers fit enough to travel from the Marco Polo in Inverness back to London.

Mr Pielow said: “The ship’s agent phoned us and asked for a 700-seater charter train - we had to move the train by that evening or rail works would have made it impossible.

“We had to move it within eight hours - I thought it was very short notice but we will always give something a go.”

Operators of the ten-night cruise Transocean Tours, of Germany, announced on Wednesday evening that the ship would terminate its voyage just a few days in, after nearly 400 passengers and crew on board showed symptoms of norovirus.

Of the 769 passengers io board, 120 took the choice of a train ride back to London, but Mr Pielow said they seemed relieved to have had the option.

“They were pleased to be on their way back home,” he said.

“Some of them even said it was the best bit of their holiday, which is good for us.

“It was a national rescue type of operation and this indicates to us that we can do more of these short-term charters.”

The train left Inverness on Thursday morning, calling at York and Peterborough on the way to King’s Cross in London.

Mr Pielow said: “We have chartered a train to a cruise ship before but this is the first time we have been asked to do anything like this.

“We are more used to being asked to hire out trains for corporate events and private functions.”

Train Chartering was set up in 1997 by Simon Pielow and Fay Lejeune, and moved to Wiltshire two years ago.

“We had the idea when we brought the Rolling Stones in one carriage and a princess from Brunei in the next,” Mr Pielow said.

“By the time we got to London they were having such a good party that thought we should run a party train service.”

The company offers private trains and carriages to companies and individuals worldwide.