Passengers travelling from London to Wales were left stranded at Swindon station last week after being encouraged to get off an overcrowded and stuffy train for fresh air.
The Great Western Railway train departed without warning, leaving several passengers behind, including an elderly couple.
Some travellers were separated from their luggage containing vital medication and valuables.
Among those affected were Trevor and Eileen Greenfield, aged 74 and 68, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, who had boarded the train to Carmarthen at London's Paddington Station on Thursday afternoon.
Passengers travelling from London to Wales were left stranded at Swindon station last week
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Due to two earlier cancellations, the service was extremely crowded.
The Greenfields and around 10 other passengers were forced to stand in cramped, hot conditions for about an hour, according to the Mail.
When the train stopped at Swindon and was delayed for about 15 minutes, the driver made an announcement acknowledging passengers' discomfort, arranging for the guard to open the doors so they could get some fresh air.
Greenfield said eight people, including himself and his wife, disembarked and stood about a metre from the train.
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At 5.30pm, without any announcement, the doors closed and the train departed.
"As a group, we were horrified and in shock that it was pulling away. People started shouting and waving in panic to the guard," Greenfield said.
He claimed the guard shouted "get away from the train" and made no attempt to help.
"People were distressed, confused and flabbergasted," he added.
The couple's suitcase, containing clothes, medication and valuables from their London break, remained on the train.
Fortunately, the Greenfields were later able to catch another train to South Wales from Swindon.
They were eventually reunited with their luggage after the train stopped at Cardiff. Their daughter drove from Barry and managed to collect the suitcase.
"It was a long, stressful and worrying day. What happened was unbelievable," Greenfield said. The couple have lodged a formal complaint with GWR about the incident.
The couple have lodged a formal complaint with GWR about the incident
Great Western RailwayAnother passenger, Liam Svensen, a 23-year-old CCTV engineer from Bridgend, described the experience as "disappointing and unacceptable".
"There was no announcement whatsoever to tell us to get back on the train. It was very out of order," he said.
Svensen noted that had his colleague not returned to the train before it departed, he could have lost £3,500 worth of work tools.
A spokesman for GWR apologised to affected customers and explained the situation, saying: "To help keep the journey moving, the 1618 Paddington to Carmarthen train made an unscheduled stop at Swindon to allow a relief driver to board.
"During the stop, the doors were opened. Our station and on board teams carried out the necessary checks before the train was safely dispatched.
"We understand that some customers did not reboard the train during this time, and we're really sorry for the inconvenience this caused."
