This is going to be an ugly Friday evening.
Is there ever a day when the GWML isn't 'stuffed'? Yesterday was just as bad.
I had to go from Oxford to West Drayton (for a bus to Heathrow), I decided I'd travel on the direct all-shacks LTV 165 instead of the faster XC to Reading, then FGW HSS to Slough, then change to the local LTV to W. Drayton.
The local LTV to Paddington departed Oxford about 12' late due to no driver, then at Didcot we sat for another 15 mins to allow an XC, a few FGW HSS and two Freightliner container trains take priotity, get to Reading and we were then routed behind a poxy Class 7 stone train for the remainder of the way to W. Drayton! The driver had to apologise over the PA at Maindenhead for the sheer slow running of the train because we was chasing a freight train on single yellows. Arrived at W. Drayon about 35 mins late.
Despite the above, karma intervened, I was glad I never took the fast XC/FGW option because between Reading and Slough - regardless that my all-stations LTV was on the Up Relief behind a slower-than-the-slow-death stone train, an army of HSTs/180s passed on the Up Main which my LTV then passed all of them again at Burnham because of a block on the Up Main! Hare and the tortoise situation.
