Leaves on the Line
Last week we were left a note on the whiteboard of our tiny local train station saying that from 1st October all trains to London, Waterloo would be leaving 3 minutes earlier. This seemed like a good idea and I was quite glad of being able to arrive in work at 9am rather than just past the hour.
Instead of a sane reason for delays…the train people have decided that the age old joke for delays is actually a valid excuse
Good Start
So I arrived in at the usual time, because I had forgotten, and wondered why people were running down the car park. Being the commuter sheep that I am, I joined them and jogged over the bridge to the platform and arrived just as the train was pulling into the station. I then felt sorry for pointed and laughed at those who had forgotten about the change who were wishing the train could have chosen today to be late and sat back to enjoy the near hour journey.
Bad Finish
Frustratingly and for reasons not explained to us, we arrived late at Waterloo by 10 minutes. This does happen quite often and I suppose I might be less stressed if we were given some reasons on board and not when I read the news in my break. Instead of a sane reason for delays – like the annoying people who cause the doors to re-open five times because they’ve squashed themselves on the train with their asses hanging out – the train people have decided that the age old joke for delays is actually a valid excuse for delays.
Yes, people, trains have been running since 1830, we can get men to the moon, grow square watermelons, clone animals but can we run modern trains on time?
Update 5 October 2005
For the last 6 days my train has not arrived on time. Today it sat outside of Surbiton station for 20 minutes and then again outside Waterloo for 10! Puts me in such a good mood for the day.
Update 9 March 2006
I have begun to document the late arrivals of SWT.
paul haine
03 October 2005 (13:51) #
“Fallen leaves driven over by trains become like a hard resin, or the equivalent of black ice for cars on the road.”
I think I’d rather have a late train than one that was speeding over a hard, slippery resin trying to keep time.
Zach Inglis
03 October 2005 (14:41) #
I remember the days that I used to take a train into work. Can’t trust them.
The bus although longer was more on time.
Emma
03 October 2005 (14:42) #
The 3 minute add-on delay I can deal with – it’s the extra non-scheduled, happens far too often lateness that is annoying.
paul haine
03 October 2005 (14:48) #
The bus was longer than a train? That must have been tricky to get round corners.
Keysie
10 October 2005 (15:43) #
We can’t run modern trains on time, simply because our train system is so far out of date, there’s not been a major upgrade to it, since, oh, before you were born, just refurbishment of tracks when someone points out they are a safety hazard. Don’t expect it to get any better either, there’s quite simply, not enough money being thrown at it! Which means its only going to get worse and worse. Sometimes its quite depressing knowing someone that works for the department of transportation – railways division.
Finally, for all you non-smokers out there, there’s a report currently being drafted for the banning of smoking at train stations.
And that, is my tuppence.