Not even Reginald Perrin was that late.
A minute before my train to work was due, it’s headlight appeared on the horizon. The train came to a stand, as often happens, to let a Manchester-bound train come off the Macclesfield line across it’s bows. But the signal didn’t clear, and the points didn’t change.
Minutes passed. The train still sat within sight of the station. Nothing moved.
Then one of the down signals started showing flashing red aspects. As far as I know, this isn’t a legitimate signal aspect, but seemed more like a distress signal from the signalling system itself.
More minutes passed. Eventually the station staff informed us that due to signal failure all trains were at a stand, and he had no idea when anything would be on the move again. The dodgy Italian computerised signalling centre that doesn’t work properly had suffered a Blue Screen of Death, and nobody knew how to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to restart it.
Another hour passed. By this time all of the Manchester-bound passengers departed for the local bus services which would at least get them to Stockport, from which there might be some trains. The number of people waiting for the Crewe train had diminished, but there was always the feeling that the moment you decided to walk half a mile to the nearest bus stop for the very slow bus to Wilmslow, that train you could see just outside the station would finally start moving.
By the time the signals turned finally green again, that train was 85 minutes late.
For what should have been an eleven minute journey.
Don’t buy signalling systems from Ansaldo. They don’t work.
