Knickers in a Twist

Our normal train home had reached Sevenoaks where it seemed to stay for quite a time.   Then came the announcement that everyone feared – a problem on the line ahead so a delay – indefinite.

Actually it wasn’t too bad because we had another announcement about five minutes later telling us what had happened – though the content wasn’t to everyone’s liking.   Trespassers on the line at Pluckley meant that the line was closed.   We would be diverted via Swanley and Maidstone East (fine for those for Ashford and beyond) passengers for Tonbridge could take the adjacent Hastings train (OK for them) and passengers for stations between Tonbridge and Ashford should go to Tonbridge and wait for a bus (at least 30 minutes – not great).

So, good marks for some quick thinking and organisation.   As promised, the Hastings train lkeft a little later and, not much after that, we headed out backwards to Swanley via Otford.   I wasn’t quite sure why we couldn’t reverse there, but never mind that.   At least we were on the move.

And so, we got to Swanley and the driver got out to walk back along the train.   A little frisson as a stopping train to Sevenoaks pulled in at the adjacent platform.   Would they let that train out first meaning we would have to follow behind as it stopped everywhere?   But no, common sense prevailed and we left first.

But here, perhaps, common sense left us because the conductor then announced that the main line had re-opened so we would go back to Sevenoaks and on the normal route with normal stops.   So, a return to Sevenoaks, leaving there an hour late then a stop at Tonbridge.   I didn’t know why, as all the passengers for Tonbridge had been told to get off at Sevenoaks first time round.   Any passengers from Tonbridge would have got on the later train – now running in front of us.   It would have made more sense to run non-stop from Swanley to Ashford (by whichever route) as previously advised.

Common sense did return a bit at Tonbridge as we then ran non-stop to Ashford.  Well, I say non-stop, but of course we were now behind a stopping train so we stopped regulalrly only between stations rather than at stations.

Nobody had said anything about after Ashford but I had my suspicions as the website was saying that the Canterbury West portion had been cancelled.   So, I fully expected to get to Ashford to be told to get off and wait for another connection.   Clearly some change had been agreed because as we approached Ashford the conductor announced that the front half of the train would only go as far as Dover and not continue to Ramsgate as originally scheduled.   He repeated this as we came to a stand.

But this was not the view of the Ashford station announcer who said that the rear four coaches would, indeed, be terminated at Ashford and passengers for Canterbury should wait for the next train (which we had, in fact, overtaken at Headcorn).

So, as expected, we traipsed over from platform to platform 6 and waited the admittedly short time for the next train to appear.

Overall, the train I left London on had five changes of route in 90 minutes – and three in 30 minutes.   Probably every decision taken on its own was sensible but it gives no-one any confidence that anyone really knows what they are doing.   There are times when you should just get a plan and stick to it.