A LOST TRAIN

Hokitika Guardian, 6 June 1925, Page 4

A LOST TRAIN

SIC N A I.MAN’S STIIAX'iK .MIS,I r* LONDON. April til. Il is hardly conceivable that a train . v. ill, a l 01l load of passengers could . I,)',' it way. Yet this strange thing s occurred during Ibis lasi week, t Tim 4.-I;) p.m. train from Cannon street to Chislehurst carries many of . those fortunate city men who do not i work their eight hours a day. hut nevertheless are able to live in one of the most charming places near l.on- ■ don. ( hislehur.st is just fifteen miles south-east from the city. A signalman. however, made a mistake and alter Ihe train had gone a short distance. it was switched on tu a wrong j line. It was help up at the next sigI mil box, but the station officials took the t(iiir.se of penalising the 3(10 pasi s-etigers lor the benefit of the. (iO.ROO Londoners who were following in other trains. To send the train back lo its right line would have completely disorganised the ‘‘rush hour” trailing and so the engine-driver as given orders to express to iWliill, thence to Tollbridge and so back to Chislehurst. This was a journey round four sides ot a square, and a. distance of sixty-live miles. As tin* Ucdhill line was clear the train made no stops and the passengers remained in ignorance as to their desiiiint ion until they reached Bed- | hill. Doubtless, many of them imagined shat they had got into the* wrong train, and dare not m.’ntion the fact | for fear of appearing ridiculous. Alibi consternation gradually broke out as they passed unfamiliar scenes. Ju the end, however, they reached their home station two hours bite. AX OFFICIAL ENQUIRY. An official enquiry as held and the I following statement was issued;—"With reference to the -1.40 p.m. train front Cannon street to Sevenoaks, which was inadvertently turned on the to the lie,Boll rout,', an official enquiry lias established that the signal iiii'.ii etmearned at Trill,hoi Bridge C 15. x mist i>k ttie train lor a IT dhiii train. The driver was pulled up at Spa road, the next signal box. and. acting under instructions. pro*'-* Mod to Belltill and thence to Chislehurst via Tunbridge, the nearest route undor the circumstances. ‘•This c uii'-.e v :-s adopted be* i.e.-e at this time of the evening a great deal of disorganisation would have been caused to tit" evening "rush" trains from Cannon street and london Bridge carrying over sixty thousand passengers had the train been re-

“The officials who conducted the enquiry iire of lie opinion that the nutinn taken, once the initial mistake had been made, caused the least inconvenience to the general pul.lie. as

no otiher delay was experienced through the incident. rd 1 .in . rs along ilu; route were instructed by telephone of (he altered route of the train, and of its probable time of arrival at its destination.

“The signalman concerned has had a wide experience tit this particular spot, and hears tin exceedingly good record."