Commuting by Train

Yesterday (for the 2nd time since starting work in May) I had the joy of trying to find an alternative way into work thanks to train disruptions. This time my 7.25am train left Hertford on time, but, after making the first stop in Cuffley, the driver announced that a major power outage had occurred at one of the stations further down the line. As a result, no trains were going into or out of London along these lines. So we sat there in Cuffley for an hour before they decided to move us forward to the next stop (Crews Hill) to give the train behind us a platform to park at for anyone who wanted to get off.

After sitting in Crews Hill for another 30 minutes, Paul (who I had already called to tell of my dilemma) offered to come pick me up and drive me into London. So I got off the train and waited for Paul to reach me some 30 minutes later. By now it’s 9.30am.

Instead of driving me all the way into London (which would have taken ½ day by the time Paul returned to Hertford), he just dropped me at Southgate tube station where I caught 2 underground lines into work. I finally got there at 11am.

Thankfully the trains were running again by the time I got off work. But this is just a classic example of the joys of commuting by train and the problems you encounter. I’m one of the fortunate ones in that there are 2 train lines that come into Hertford, so I’ve always got the option of using one if the other is down.