It all started at Brockenhurst.
Well not really. It all started with a late train at Bath. The 17:37 to Portsmouth Harbour pulled in at 17:57. Well that was easily forgiven. Trains are late all the time.
Got off at Southampton Central, just as planned.
Caught the service to Poole a couple of minutes later.
When the ticket inspector came round to check the tickets, he told me to change at Brockenhurst. I said "sorry...?" but he didn't hear me and walked off. Then he came past again just before Brockenhurst, and I asked him why I had to change. Turns out that if I did I could get to Poole faster. Theoretically. "Take the train on Platform 3"
So I went to Platform 3, and the board said the next train was going to Bournemouth. I needed to go to Poole, which is further than Bournemouth, so the next one to Weymouth looked good (Poole is on the way to Weymouth). So I didn't take the one to Bournemouth, cos if I did I'd have to get off at Bournemouth and change trains to a Weymouth one anyway.
Then when I got on the Weymouth one, the loudspeaker said that the toilets weren't working, so the train would stop at Bournemouth and we'd all have to get off and get onto another train further along the platform, which would continue the journey. So when we got to Bournemouth we all got off and trooped up the platform...
To a train that finally got me to Poole. Three and a half hours after the first train was supposed to leave Bath.
Now let's contrast it to what it SHOULD have been. Should've been an easy ride, Bath to Southampton Central, Southampton to Poole. 2 hours 37 minutes, says the National Rail Journey Planner. Sure sure.
Ps, can I just say that none of this kefufle (is that how you spell it? Oh, you know what I mean) was actually due to me taking the wrong train :)
Well not really. It all started with a late train at Bath. The 17:37 to Portsmouth Harbour pulled in at 17:57. Well that was easily forgiven. Trains are late all the time.
Got off at Southampton Central, just as planned.
Caught the service to Poole a couple of minutes later.
When the ticket inspector came round to check the tickets, he told me to change at Brockenhurst. I said "sorry...?" but he didn't hear me and walked off. Then he came past again just before Brockenhurst, and I asked him why I had to change. Turns out that if I did I could get to Poole faster. Theoretically. "Take the train on Platform 3"
So I went to Platform 3, and the board said the next train was going to Bournemouth. I needed to go to Poole, which is further than Bournemouth, so the next one to Weymouth looked good (Poole is on the way to Weymouth). So I didn't take the one to Bournemouth, cos if I did I'd have to get off at Bournemouth and change trains to a Weymouth one anyway.
Then when I got on the Weymouth one, the loudspeaker said that the toilets weren't working, so the train would stop at Bournemouth and we'd all have to get off and get onto another train further along the platform, which would continue the journey. So when we got to Bournemouth we all got off and trooped up the platform...
To a train that finally got me to Poole. Three and a half hours after the first train was supposed to leave Bath.
Now let's contrast it to what it SHOULD have been. Should've been an easy ride, Bath to Southampton Central, Southampton to Poole. 2 hours 37 minutes, says the National Rail Journey Planner. Sure sure.
Ps, can I just say that none of this kefufle (is that how you spell it? Oh, you know what I mean) was actually due to me taking the wrong train :)
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