Moment passenger is cut out of train toilet after getting trapped for two hours when door malfunctioned and locked her in on the way to Hyrox event

A claustrophobic passenger heading to a Hyrox fitness event had to be removed from a train toilet by fire crews after being trapped there for nearly two hours.

Robin Smith, 35, found herself stranded on the CrossCountry rail service from Southampton to Manchester Piccadilly after the electronic gates failed to open.

Although she nearly fainted twice due to claustrophobia, train staff told Ms Smith that calling the fire brigade would delay the already delayed service.

‘I asked the female attendant when it would be appropriate to call the fire brigade because this clearly poses a fire risk,’ Ms Smith said.

‘He said the train was already delayed by an hour and a half; As if this takes priority over my safety.’

Staff tried to pull the door open and even took an ax to break down what they thought was blocking the door.

After he threatened to call the fire department, train attendants asked firefighters for help.

They arrived at the scene at Oxford station and sawed out a gap large enough for Miss Smith to crawl out.

Firefighters in Oxford used saws to cut a gap large enough for Ms Smith to crawl out.

Ms Smith said: ‘The firefighters worked really quickly. They immediately asked if I was okay, my name, and if I was happy to give them ten minutes to see if they could open the door without getting hurt.

‘I was happy to wait another ten minutes as I felt I was in safe hands now. When this time expired and it became clear that the door could not be opened, the firefighters immediately got to work and opened the door. They were perfect.

‘I’m so claustrophobic that being able to go outside was an instant relief.’

Robin, from Southampton, was heading to the Hyrox event, a fitness challenge involving running and weightlifting, with her boyfriend Angus Jones last Saturday.

He was placed in first class for the remainder of his £89 journey.

“I have severe claustrophobia and twice had to lie down on the floor for fear I would pass out,” Ms Smith said. What You Need to Know.

‘The staff were helpful and while they tried to do something to get me out of the bathroom it was clear that neither party had any idea what to do.

‘No one could control the situation.

‘From inside the toilet to the outside it felt like chaos.

‘The toilets are designed to be disabled accessible and it is worrying that there are no procedures to get someone, a child or me out in case of an emergency or if I faint.’

Fire crews tried to open the door without damaging it for ten minutes, but it was obvious that the door would not budge.

Fire department used hydraulic cutting kit and reciprocating saw to rescue Robin Smith from train toilet

He added: ‘The whole time I was locked down my Apple Watch was going crazy because my heart rate was so high.’

A CrossCountry spokesman said: ‘We would like to apologize to passengers affected by the technical fault experienced on one of our trains on Saturday.

‘Although incidents such as this are rare, our colleagues on board are trained to deal with these incidents safely and worked closely with station staff and emergency services to resolve the situation.

‘All passengers were able to continue their journey, including the customer directly involved who was traveling on our next northbound service from Oxford.’

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman said: ‘Oxfordshire County Council’s fire and rescue service dispatched a fire engine from Rewley Road fire station to Oxford railway station.

‘Crew used hydraulic shearing gear and a reciprocating saw to free a person trapped in the train toilet on platform 3.’