Waiting on a train . . .
Due to who knows what reason one of the rails in a tunnel outside London is cracked and the 6.45 from Cambridge is unable to move any further . . .
We’ve now been sat here for nearly 45 minutes and have been listening to apologies from the driver and pronouncements that we can’t move any further until a National Rail Manager has been to assess the situation something like every 10 minutes.
However the last announcement was slightly more odd . . . we were told that a National Rail Manager had in fact now arrived on site and that the inspection was ongoing and we were also asked that, ‘if there are any FCC employees on board the train could they please make their way to the cab at the front of the train’.
I’m actually sat at the front of the train and no-one has moved so I’m guessing that there isn’t, but still, it dies feel like being on a plane and being asked if there is a doctor on board! Only this time the patient is a large lump of ironwork and I can’t figure out what they could do about it anyway??
It’s now 8.10 so I’m guessing we should be due another apology any minute . . . who knows what this one will bring?? I’ll let you know.
And there it was, bang on time. We’ve just been told that one of the options being explored is to ‘detrain’ the front 4 carriages of this 8 carriage train and move everyone into the rear 4 carriages. They would then reverse those 4 carriages back to Knebworth and, presumably, take another route into London from there.
It does make you wonder why they couldn’t just reverse the whole train though?
Back when there’s more info 🙂
8.55 – we’ve just been told that the reason that the train can’t move is that we’re actually on top of the broken rail! The plan now is to move the rear 4 carriages away, bring a rescue train alongside and move everyone from the front 4 carriages onto it . . . although when making the announcement the driver really didn’t sound at all sure what was going on. Comforting that eh 😉
9.10
It’s confirmed, we’re going to be decamping onto a rescue train just as soon as 3 other trains from London have passed through. Once we’re on that train we will then be heading off the Stevenage for who knows what reason???
9.20
Still here, still no rescue train. The British Transport Police have just asked that anyone who will be unable to move from one train to another, please contact them at the front of the train . . . also, anyone who needs to make an important phone call or contact anyone to head up there. There is now a queue of around 20 perfectly able bodies standing next to me.
9.30
The rescue train is nearly here . . . standby for transfer!
9.45
Well I’m all transferred but judging by the rickety state of the ladders to get people off one train and onto the next one getting 4 carriage loads fully moved is going to take a little while. Of course then we have to figure out where we’re going to next? The driver previously was saving Stevenage and rumour has it it’ll be buses and coaches from there although no-one can figure out why???
10.05
Still loading . . . bored now . . .
10.10
Train now moving onwards/backwards to Stevenage
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