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Simon Calder, who is also recognized as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been composing articles about traveling for The Independent since 1994. In his regular editorial column, he delves into a crucial travel topic and its implications for you.
On Friday, December 22, I had the pleasure of meeting Pat Williams from Crewe. She was on a long journey to visit her family in southern France during the dreary winter season. Pat made a responsible decision, even though it was challenging and costly. Instead of taking a 42-minute train ride from her local station to Manchester airport, she chose to minimize her impact on the environment. Pat opted for a train trip through London and Paris.
Yesterday, there was a delay of five hours on the West Coast main line for Pat’s trip from Crewe to London Euston. As time passed, she became more stressed. She realized that she would most likely miss her scheduled Eurostar train from St Pancras International to Paris. Unfortunately, the railway industry is not as efficient as airlines in accommodating passengers whose planned trips encounter issues. She wondered if she would have to pay a large sum of money to get her trip back on schedule.
Thankfully, that ended up being inconsequential. The Eurostar train she was supposed to take had already been cancelled due to a sudden strike by French workers at the Eurotunnel control center in Calais. As a result of 30 trains being cancelled on a busy winter day, she was one of 25,000 passengers who needed accommodations and a new Eurostar train. Her family arranged for her to stay at a hotel in London and Eurostar was able to provide her with a seat the next afternoon. This was when I encountered Pat, as I was covering the chaos of holiday travel.
I said goodbye to Pat. She has updated, “It took me approximately 36 hours to reach my destination in France from home. Despite having a fall on my first day, I still had a lovely Christmas with my family. However, I did end up with many bruises and was in considerable pain.”
Pat had made reservations for her return journey on 28 December, so she was spared from experiencing the recent Eurostar disruption caused by flooding in the Thames tunnel. She shares, “The Eurostar ride was uneventful and went smoothly.” However, upon reaching London St Pancras, things took a turn for the worse once again.
“Pat reports that they quickly made their way to Euston, despite their injury, in order to catch their train to Crewe.”
Unfortunately, there were no trains in operation on the West Coast main line due to a tragic death.
“I was instructed to return to St Pancras, and instantly my suitcase felt twice as heavy.”
Pat was redirected from London to Derby, with the expectation of easily transferring to a train to Crewe. However, her troubles were not yet resolved: “Upon arrival at Derby, all trains to Crewe were cancelled due to flooding. Eventually, we were instructed to go outside and wait for coaches to transport us to Stoke.”
To exit, one must go through the ticket barrier. “I inserted my ticket into the exit barrier, but I was too tired to make it through the gates before they shut, causing further pain to my already injured ribs and legs.”
According to Pat, even though the coaches eventually arrived, there was a delay due to police searching for someone who was not found.
Remarkably, Pat maintains her vigor and optimistic attitude as she acknowledges her good fortune: “I am grateful that I was able to complete the journey home in a single day. And despite any challenges, I remained cheerful. I refuse to be negative.”
The beginning of the new year has been difficult for train passengers across the UK due to severe weather conditions and staffing issues causing numerous disruptions. In light of this, I propose we follow the example of countries like Serbia and North Macedonia, who still observe the Julian calendar, to commemorate the start of 2024.
The yearly restart occurs on January 14th according to the modern Gregorian calendar. However, since there are no planned strikes, I would like to extend my best wishes for a happy new year to Pat and all other train passengers.
Source: independent.co.uk
