TV presenter and journalist Mariella Fostrup complained that she bought a first-class ticket for a two hour train journey which was so crowded she found herself sitting on the floor outside the carriage next to the toilet. She was relatively privileged.
On a four hour journey last Sunday from Wales to Leeds seventeen of us stood for three hours jammed in the space between two carriages. There was no room to sit on the floor. Some of us had a wall behind to lean on while others, including an older woman with a walking stick, just stood and swayed. Except for two passengers who sat on the toilet seats with the doors open. One said she had a ‘medical condition’ while the other, a 40-something businesswoman just sat and glowered.
The trip started okay: we all had seats in carriages as usual. Then, a few stations along (forget which one) we were told that if we were going to Leeds we had to move to the forward coaches, because the rear coaches were going somewhere else. The trouble was there simply wasn’t enough room. We were trapped between six doors! Two were the carriage doors, two were the train doors, and two were the toilet doors.
But here’s a Romans 8:28 intervention. Most of the group looked like young, postgrad students. They were full of energy and good humour with some droll observations that had everyone smiling. They shared information about themselves; one had taken his BA in Cardiff and his MA in Brighton and planned to take his doctorate in Manchester. One came from the Isle of Wight where there are no trains and had no experience of them and didn’t think much of this. When some told their ages the older lady with the stick said she was 78, and they were impressed. A chap on the curve on my left was a teacher – Physics and dance. He made a small move that shouted talent. Show us some moves, suggested someone I couldn’t see. ‘Can’t do that here,’ he laughed, ‘not enough oxygen.’ The older lady said her husband had been a Physics teacher at (forget the name) University, and he said he wouldn’t be as good as that. My psychotherapy kicked in and I told him not to compare himself when there’s no evidence. We’d spoken earlier when I said that if the train jolted I would probably fall on him and apologised in advance. One joked that perhaps we should start a WhatsApp group and follow up the journey with ‘how’s your life going now?’
Half an hour out from Leeds a train conductor came through saying there were seats available now in the carriages, and someone pointed out the lady using a stick, inferring that she should have priority. She fell in behind the conductor and hopefully, found a seat. Some of the group had left at earlier stations so I was able to manoeuvre into the nearest carriage and find an empty seat. The man sitting next to me showed me an email he’d written to his Member of Parliament complaining about the service and suggesting that Cross Country Rail should lose its contract. I’m going to do the same.
We’re told to give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Not for everything. I wouldn’t choose to spend 3 hours standing without a hanging strap with 17 others in a small space like that. But I would choose their good natured company and give thanks for that.
