29. Trip to London-03-06.04.24

On arrival at Northampton station, it was clear that something was wrong with hoards of people massing around the concourse. Despite the inevitable poor communication, it became clear that there was a total line closure due to a signalling failure somewhere south. The problem was exacerbated by trains continuing to arrive from the north and terminating adding hundreds more hapless and increasingly tetchy passengers to the gathered throng. Busses were called for and began to arrive taking passengers to either Milton Keynes or Wolverton, if that was their destination, or to Wellingborough for onward travel via the MML to St. Pancras. However, these arrangements were not well communicated with some hapless RPOs attempting to do their best. It appeared that there was not a proper plan in place for when such events take place which happens all too often now it seems. Indeed, the previous day all trains out of Euston were cancelled during the afternoon and into the evening rush due again to signalling issues. Tired of waiting for a bus my wife and I took a cab to Wellingborough arriving at St. Pancras about an hour and a half after we should have got to Euston.

Despite the ASLEF strike effectively closing the ECML Statesman Rail (with LSL) still managed to run a charter to Newcastle. Curiously named the London to Castle Howard, Durham, Beamish & Newcastle it was electric hauled from London with steam in the form of 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley' from York and for the entire return journey back to King's Cross.