Monday, April 09, 2007

Bank Holiday Madness

No, I am not talking about Sofa sales, kitchen price cuts or hours of discount cars - but trains. Yes, trains. Trains and platform staff, both of whom (yes I know trains can't think) don't seem to have a clue what is going on.

Today I was amongst the 100's of people travelling from Paddington station who were sent away when some kind of incident happened on the tracks just outside the station, causing first great western to cancel all trains going out of paddington, instantly. Leaving me and a few hundred others stranded.

We were told to head to Ealing Broadway where we were promised trains would be starting from to take us the rest of the way. So we finally arrived enmasse at Ealing Broadway, to find only two platforms working, and a serious crowd control problem. The staff at the station did not have a clue how to deal with big angry mobs, who kept seeing first great western trains speed by - knowing that they could be on them, getting to their destinations without a worry in the world.

I finally got to Reading and waited another 50 mins to get a train to Bristol Parkway... of all the times I have been travelling 'cross country, why did the worst journey (so far, and I am not holding my breath!) have to happen the day before Spring Harvest?

So I've filled out a form and I'm sending it off in the hope that I'll get the full price of my ticket refunded because I was delayed for a whole 2 hours 30 mins. And if the train company phone me and say they can't refund my money, I will not be happy!

Any way, Spring Harvest tomorrow, and despite my tiredness, I am looking forward to it...

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