Royal T

This is what the UP platform of my local station looks like at 06:15 just before my DOWN train pulls in. My DOWN trains begins its journey at Charing X and calls in here before continuing on to Dartford. It terminates at Dartford and then transforms itself into an UP train to Cannon St, calling in at my former home. In fact it forms the very same train I used to catch to work daily back in 2003. These services are all operated by “Southeastern”

At Dartford, I disembark the Southeastern train from Charing X at Platform 3. There is already another Southeastern train at Platform 4, but this is not for public use, this train is about to enter a siding for a spot of valeting.

Next in at Platform 4 is a Thameslink service calling at Strood, and this is my new perfect link to work in the morning. But this morning, crossing from Platform 3 to Platform 4 I am arrested by Peter.

“Hoi! Tivoli! Your Thameslink's been cancelled! We're putting this one on as a special to Strood”

It's not quite 7am and alert station staff are rescheduling rolling stock and drivers to visit unpopular and out-of-the-way places just to make life a bit easier for a tiny handful of passengers. It's not like it's even going to connect with the people at the end of the line who probably really need to be collected.

But there you go. Made me feel like royalty!

I sent a “Thank You” SMS to the commuter rag :-)

I've just logged in tonight, very tired, and see that the tabs have been rethought. Hearty congratulations to BlipWorld for the thinking behind this! Recent v New was always too ambiguous and separating Popular from Milestones was really a necessity. Thank you!