If the conductor (voiced by the wonderful Tom Hanks) struggled determinedly against all odds to get to the North Pole on time, in the film Polar Express, then surely for goodness’ sake it’s not too much to ask that hubby and I expect to arrive at our destination roughly at the time expected – is it?

The slogan by British rail emphasizes the ease and comfort of rail travel, and yet we hear of so many significant issues with punctuality and unreliability, of course this is not withstanding rising fares.

With commuters reporting being stressed, hubby and I can certainly attest to this. With a ‘poorly’ vehicle sitting on the driveway, we decided to ‘let the train take the strain’- big mistake.