We Loved National Rail Until We Didn't

Southeastern Railway Train at Rye, Sussex 

Since we arrived in London, people have been telling us about how bad the London Underground, the Tube, and the National Rail services really are.  And, we kind of thought they were exaggerating.  I mean we've been here a month and have had no problems.  The Tube is a great way to get around although it does hinder your ability to get your bearings.  You pop up here and pop up there and don't ever really know how it all relates above ground.

On the rail side we had two really good experiences.  We went to Rye to investigate that East Sussex town's antiques and vintage scenes.  It was a great day out exploring Rye's picturesque streets and numerous shops.  The train trips there and back all went smoothly.

Weekend before last, we had another smooth trip to Walton-on-Thames.  We departed on time and arrived on time both ways.  The only hiccup was our decision to travel to Waterloo Station to catch a train we could have got at a station around the corner, but we're learning.

Then there was this past weekend.  Well, it didn't go so smoothly.

Enfield Chase Rail Station

I had planned to go the the Battersea Car Boot Sale.  It would have been my first.  But Rob decided he wanted to go check out Enfield where he has some vague family history connections.  So, on Sunday morning, we headed off to King's Cross to catch the train to Enfield Chase.

We got there OK.  Our good run with the trains continued.  We didn't have much luck finding the church with the family connections.  So, we stopped into a little pub for lunch and some advice on how to find the church.  After lunch and with advice from the pub locals, we finally found the churchyard we were looking.  Next, we set off to find the road named after the family.  What I didn't know was that the plan was to walk the whole damn road.  When we got to the end of the footpath and I turned around, I was asked what I was doing.  It was only then that I learned that we were walking a huge circle through the countryside.  Had I known, I'd have worn more comfortable shoes.

I protested, but as usual lost.  Eventually we arrived at Trent Park and went off road.  This made me feel better on the one hand, because with no footpath, the cars whizzing by were making me nervous.  On the other hand, the park's paths were pretty muddy due to all the rain we've had and my shoes and trouser legs were getting muddy - not happy.  On we went.  Assisted by the little blue dot on my iPhone, we found our way through the park and came out near a Tube station.  I could see from the map we had a long way to go to get back to the train station and suggested we should take the Tube back to London.  Rob laughed and said, "Come along."  He thought I was joking.  I wasn't.

On we went.  We got to the station about an hour later.  It was about 10 past 4 in the afternoon. The ticket office was closed, but the electronic board in the station's entrance showed that the next train back to Kings Cross was delayed.  It was scheduled for 16:38 but was now due at 16:42 - very precise.  That's not bad, we thought.  They really keep passengers up to date.  So, we went through the tunnel and up the stairs to the platform.

An announcement was made.  The volume was very low and it was difficult to hear, but it was something about a signal fault and delays could be expected.  The electronic board on the platform now showed the train was due at 16:46.  A further delay, of 4 minutes.  How good of them to let us know.

A little later the announcement came again, since we could hardly hear it last time we'd move closer to a speaker.  We listened more carefully this time.  Signal fault.  Trains running south into Kings Cross delayed.  The delay may be up to 90 minutes.  The board still said 16:46.  We assumed the computer knew best and waited.

Others on the platform were not as convinced as we newcomers.  A couple of them left the platform.  The newcomers, were now starting to lose confidence.  I wondered what they knew that we didn't.

Seconds after that thought passed over my neurons, the electronic sign on the platform changed to show the next train arriving at 17:38.  It was only 4:30!  Suddenly the computer had decided the next train was an hour off.

We'd seen a pub down the road from the station on our way in.  So, we decided to have a pint at The Old Wheatsheaf.    I walked up to the first door we came to and headed in.  As I turned around, Rob was headed down the footpath.  I gave him a look.  Of course, there were two options and since I picked Door No. 1 he was going for Door No. 2.  I held my ground and went in.  Surprisingly, he followed.  Usually that's not the way it goes.

Anyway, I regretted my choice instantly.  The football was on and it was a very small room packed with blokes.  You could see through a door way that Door No. 2 had been the better choice.  Damn it!  I swallowed hard and conceded. "Let's go to the other side," I said.  I headed to the back of the small room to cross over to the other side.  It looked like there was a connecting hallway.

I'd walked into the toilets!  Damn it, again!  There was no hallway.  Now, it was back through the room, blocking views of the TV along the way again and I was back with Rob.  He hadn't followed.  Out the door we went and two seconds later we entered Door No. 2.  Now, we were in the larger room with open tables.  I ordered two pints and we sat down to wait.

By the time we finished our beers, it was about 5:15.  We headed back to the station.  There were a few more people on the platform now.  The electronic board still said the next train was due at 17:38.  So, we waited.

The man's voice from the announcement came on again.  Still no volume, but it was the same message.  A bit later, across the tracks on the opposite platform, a door opened and one of the station staff stuck his head out.  He looked down the station, turned back and said something to someone inside.

Hmmm, until this point we had seen no staff.  No one at the ticket counter.  No one on the platform.  I'd figured since it was Sunday, the station was not staffed.  Now, we saw that there were staff about.  Clearly they were hiding.

As we twiddled our thumbs, a new message came over the PA system.  This one was louder and it was a woman's voice.  Oh, goody, new information!

The voice told us we were to stand back from the platform edge, because the next train to come through the station was not stopping.  Huh?!?!?

Waiting for the Phantom Train

Everyone turned to watch for the train.  The electronic board changed to make a similar warning. We waited.  And we waited.  Nothing happened.

Still nothing.  Then the electronic board changed again.  It changed back telling us that our train was due at 17:38.  Hmm, the phantom train must have passed unnoticed.

At 17:38, there was still no train.  And at 17:46 there was still no train, but the electronic board assured us it was due at 17:38.  By now we'd lost all confidence in that computer.  We decided to call it quits and went out to the bus shelter in front of the station.  The plan was to flee the mess that was National Rail and go back to that Tube station we'd seen a couple of hours ago.  You know, the one Rob thought I was joking about.

National Rail Computer You Can't Trust

Our bus, the 121, was due in five minutes according to the little electronic board in the shelter.  We would soon be on our way.  Then there was this noise.  I couldn't believe my ears.  It sounded like a train.  And, it was a train.  It was lumbering into the station.  It didn't seem to be stopping, but it was slowing.  Was this the one that was not stopping or the 17:38?  Shit!  What do we do?

The 121 Bus was due in 3 minutes.  If we ran, maybe we could make the train - if it stopped.  The train track was above us now and although I walked into the street and stained my neck to see, I couldn't tell if it stopped.  Damn.  What do we do?  Rob, of course, was having none of this angst.  Mr Calm, Cool & Collected had already decided we were waiting for the bus.  So, that's what we did - of course.

The bus arrived, on time, and we were on our way.  We retraced the route we'd walked a few hours earlier.  It only took five minutes this time.  And, we were at the Underground and on our way home.

And, now we knew what everyone had warned us about.  The problem wasn't the signal fault - shit happens - the problem was the total inability of National Rail to communicate to their customers what was happening.   If the staff had been on the platform rather than hiding, if the electronic boards were properly updated, if the announcements could be heard and matched what was on the boards, if they'd suggested the Tube option, if the communication was better we could have been home a lot earlier.

Our faith in the system has been shaken, but we'll be back.  When it works, the National Rail system makes getting around the UK a breeze.