Today I have been to my home village in Cheshire/now Manchester for the annual well dressing. A Derbyshire tradition (the village i on the old Cheshire/Derbyshire border).
On the way back I became aware of rail disruption on the Cumbria Coast line due to a failed set of points where the line opens out from single track to a passing loop.
Ultimately the last 5 trains of the day were cancelled between 3pm and end of service.
Normally buses would be laid on to cover. But it is the last week of school term, so no local operator had availability due to school trips.
Compounded by the ASLEF train drivers overtime ban- a perfect storm.
The rail companies always have a duty to get you home if the last train of the night is cancelled. To fulfil that Northern had to send one 16 seat minibus up from Manchester to Cumbria (3 were sent but only one ever got here).
We got as close as I have ever been tonight to Northern Rail having to pay for hotel rooms in Barrow in Furness.
So a driver with no knowledge of local roads late at night. He has to rely on Sat Nav. So we get to Seascale and the sat nav tries to send us to Sellafield over a rough track across the golf course. I'm the only local on this bus.
So we correct that and next the sat nav tries to send us straight through the Sellafield Nuclear Site!!
Both events had the potential to be, well, interesting.
And let's just say some very lively driving.
I finally arrived home 4 hours 25 minutes late, so some nice delay repay compensation to come.
Track faults just happen, but this is a prime example of why when flying home you should ideally be in your departure city the previous night.