Braving the trains

You see, I had already purchased the train tickets and had to use my saver return by the 15th of July. I also got a fixed single ticket for a train back on the 12th,which will just be obsolete if I don't use it. So, I decided to brave the journey to London.

Not without all the delays and disruptions and I had to take the bus twice as the King Cross
underground could not be used, but managed to take the train to Cambridge as the train station is not affected. As it is at ground level.

Let me take you through my journey that was affected by what happened 7.7.05 in London. (See previous posts.)

I took the taxi from my house at Prestwich, Salford to Manchester Picadilly Railway Station. As I was walking in the station, I would notice the usual platforms devoid of the London bound trains. Sure enough to my irritation, the notice boards did not display anything on London. So I inquired the Information counter personnel, who said, " Take the bus outside for Stockport, as the train will depart from there". "Oh, okay", I knew that this is an indication of a difficult journey to come. A bloke with a huge tummy, who looks like he is a Manchester United fan, said something to me, gesturing at my Champion's League Winner red t-shirt. I smiled back, hoping he is not a hooligan about to clobber me.

As I waited for the bus, a lady chatted to me about this extra-ordinary situation of having to take a bus to get to London, and where to board one. And I reflected that on this journey I chatted to a total of 6 strangers all in all. Tragedies like what happened in London I would learn brings people together, as people need some comfort that the journey will be safe.

It was quite a wait at the Stockport station, waiting for the train to move, and the air-conditioning was a bit dodgy. Well, I thought I have the best seat with the table and facing forward, and was not particular at first about the air-conditioning.

Before Stafford, I found out that the other carriages had better air-conditioning and told the lady in front of me that she had better get to the other carriages, as I noticed she and the other lady were becoming really red on the neck and very uncomfortable. Being a Malaysian, I quipped machoily, "Go ahead. will sit here and brave the heat. I need a bit of sauna...", thinking about similar conditions back home with the 3rd Class KTM carriages!

Earlier, I had chatted with the ladies where I usually did not chat with people. I noticed people seems to care about people around them more, and a sense of 'communal grief' and solidarity has emerged from our beings. People going all out to help others. Anyway, we are all travelling to London, and we feel that there are still dangers that cannot be discounted.

At Euston, the London station where I arrived, I noticed many policemen, but not as many as at King's Cross. I could not stop at King's Cross underground so I had to get back on the escalators and travel by bus. At King's Cross, I noticed a newscaster from the US busy rehearsing fom his notes while a camera was poised nearby. I noticed so many policemen watching warily and scrutinising people toing and froing around the station.

I managed to get on the Cambridge bound train some less than 2 hours later than expected before I set my journey out from Manchester.