Thursday, January 12, 2006

Virgin Trains

Had to go to a meeting in Milton Keynes yesterday. This is a one hour drive. For relaxation and to read/prepare I took the train. Blogging your rail sagas is so dull but it does make you feel better. You need to know that Leamington to Coventry is an 11 minute rail journey but there are no local trains. You catch the train from Bournemouth to Edinburgh and go one stop.

Here's the plan I had:

Walk to station in Leamington
9.11 to Coventry (arrive 9.22)
9.50 to Milton Keynes (arrive 10.22)
Meeting 11.00

Meeting ends 4.00 latest
16.10 to Coventry (arrive 16.44)
17.24 to Leamington Spa (arrive 17.36)
Walk home

Here's reality:

Walk to station in Leamington (successfully achieved)
9.11 to Coventry left at 9.26 (arrived 9.37 - delayed by another train in Banbury)
9.50 to Milton Keynes (arrive 10.22) (punctual)
Meeting 11.00 (happened)

Meeting ends 4.00 latest (overran by fifteen minutes)
17.11 to Coventry (arrive 17.44) (punctual)
18.24 to Leamington Spa (arrive 18.36) (43 minutes late, left at 19.07 arived at 19.25 - delayed by late arriving rolling stock in Edinburgh)
Walk home (successfully accomplished)

Of course if the previous Edinburgh - Bournemouth train had been just a bit late I could have caught that instead of having a 40 minute wait at Coventry already built into the schedule but of course that one had been punctual.

Thank you. I feel better now. Will seek after some truth later.

1 comment:

Martin said...

Coventry is generally horrid (although I have to admit that there are small signs of improvement. The University Library is quite nice, and the "coat hangers" area is ok.). Brown though, is a lovelly colour, which I am starting to apreciate now.

Leamington station seems to be almost upside down compared to most stations, with the entrance at the bottom, and the tracks at the top. Don't think I've ever seen that anywhere else, but then again, I don't use the trains much, so I could have missed somewhere.