Saturday - Manchester to Glasgow
Train cancelled: 'Catch 9.09 to Preston & your train will be starting from there and will be held until you arrive'.
Arrive at Preston.
Signal failure: 'We are providing coaches to take you to Lancaster. Your train is being held there for you'.
Picture is of the queue for 'the coach'. We were at the back. Starts raining. Rain gets heavier - no shelter. Unknown to us, rain penetrates case.
Shuffle up queue for 56 minutes and get to 'the coach'.
Need a pee. No time. No toilet.
45 minutes later arrive at Lancaster.
Have to run in, carry case up a flight of stairs, up and over a bridge, down a flight, up and down another flight and arrive at packed train.
Fight way on. Push to toilet - occupied.
Eventually, lady emerges with fresh make up. Pee 4.5 litres.
Make selves comfortable in corridor and eat marmalade butties.
Reserved seating cancelled.
Norma limps and sways along aisle of carriage.
Elderly man with suitcase on seat offers to remove it.
Then informs her that he is getting off at next stop (5 minutes) so we can grab his seat(s).
Yippee! But no space for case, so sit with legs at 180 degrees for three hours.
We really do need to spend all that money on a High Speed Rail, don't we?
It would be wrong to replace our clapped out signalling systems.
Train cancelled: 'Catch 9.09 to Preston & your train will be starting from there and will be held until you arrive'.
Arrive at Preston.
Signal failure: 'We are providing coaches to take you to Lancaster. Your train is being held there for you'.
Picture is of the queue for 'the coach'. We were at the back. Starts raining. Rain gets heavier - no shelter. Unknown to us, rain penetrates case.
Shuffle up queue for 56 minutes and get to 'the coach'.
Need a pee. No time. No toilet.
45 minutes later arrive at Lancaster.
Have to run in, carry case up a flight of stairs, up and over a bridge, down a flight, up and down another flight and arrive at packed train.
Fight way on. Push to toilet - occupied.
Eventually, lady emerges with fresh make up. Pee 4.5 litres.
Make selves comfortable in corridor and eat marmalade butties.
Reserved seating cancelled.
Norma limps and sways along aisle of carriage.
Elderly man with suitcase on seat offers to remove it.
Then informs her that he is getting off at next stop (5 minutes) so we can grab his seat(s).
Yippee! But no space for case, so sit with legs at 180 degrees for three hours.
We really do need to spend all that money on a High Speed Rail, don't we?
It would be wrong to replace our clapped out signalling systems.