On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 08:50:56 +0100, Mike Hughes
wrote in :
In message , Dr Ivan D. Reid
writes
On 19 Jun 2005 14:37:36 -0700, Dubba
wrote in .com:
Dr Ivan D. Reid wrote:
Any news on what the "mainline problems" were that cancelled all
Heathrow Express trains today?[from 1159]

I travelled from Oxford to Paddington today, which took 2 hours. I
heard from another passenger there had been a suicide on the line at
Southall, but I don't know if that was actually the case.

That sounds more plausible than engineering works which were known
well in advance. Thanks. I was afraid it might have been a derailment
due to lines buckling in the heat.

So that's why all us taxi drivers were so busy! The train problems were
also compounded by air traffic control problems resulting delayed
flights. As they say "it's an ill wind..." :-)

It took a while for the news to filter through -- all the taxi drivers
were, "Gee, it'll cost you £20. Why don't you take the Heathrow Express
for free?"

Of course if you take a taxi all the way then the driver has the option
of trying to find an alternative route if the main route is blocked.
With a train there's not usually such an option.

I'm not sure if PPARC would wear me putting in a claim for a taxi
to T4 when a U3 gets me to the Central station for 80 p ... They have to
bite the cost for yesterday, though.

--
Ivan Reid, Electronic & Computer Engineering, ___ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Room 40-1-B12, CERN
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".