Let down by British Rail again

@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
November 19, 2015 11:22am CST
Today I decided to have a change from the usual stroll around Manchester city centre. While waiting for the Metrolink tram at my local station, I thought about visiting my home town of Bolton. Instead of staying on the tram a few more stops, I got off at Victoria station and walked around to the Rail platforms. Looking at the Departures screen I noticed the Blackpool train was due at 12-19 PM, which stops at Bolton. Sadly this was at 12-16 and the platform is at the far end of the station, so it was not trying to rush. Instead I decided to catch the advertised Bolton train at 12-54 PM. I called in the café and bought a coffee, then patiently waited for the later train. At around 12-45 I returned and went through the barriers. When I arrived at the platform the screen displayed Bolton 12-54 On Time Bus replacement. After waiting for so long they had supplied a bus service instead. The replacement bus usually takes well over an hour because it wanders off the main roads to call at each station, so I gave up and carried on to Manchester city centre. They could at least have advertised the replacement bus on the screen outside the platforms, in which case I would not have bothered waiting.
5 people like this
3 responses
• Preston, England
19 Nov 15
that's a shame. I love Bolton after doing my degree at the institute there, which now has university status, though my old campus has been demolished
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Nov 15
It should be around 20 minutes on the train, but the idea of over an hour on a bus is a definite NO for me.
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
19 Nov 15
@Asylum I don't mind the bus ride unless in a hurry
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Nov 15
@arthurchappell I find such a journey boring these days and usually stick to trains and trams as much as possible.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189820)
• Boise, Idaho
20 Nov 15
Aggravating how it is so much more important for it to be easy for the schedule people than for the people using the service.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Nov 15
If there was an Olympic event for unreliability then British Rail would have easily taken the Gold medal on every occasion.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189820)
• Boise, Idaho
23 Nov 15
@Asylum ...How pathetic.
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
19 Nov 15
That must have been so annoying - as you say, they could have warned people before they went into the station.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Nov 15
If I had wanted to catch the bus it would have involved coming back out of the station in order to catch it, which is ridiculous.