Yesterday, I came home via London Bridge. When I arrived
there the station was in complete chaos. Now I am used to the two departure boards
becoming pure fantasy in such situations. They will tend to contradict each other
and indulge in time travel. For example, yesterday a train was showing as departing
at 18.23 when it was already 18.42.
But, hitherto, the platform departure boards have always
been my true friends. Not so yesterday. First the 18.12 appeared on the
platform 2 board – and then disappeared only to be replaced by a local train.
Once that had gone, it reappeared – only to disappear again.
I went back up the foot bridge to see if there was more information.
There was no announcement and no display saying cancelled. It had simply
disappeared from all displays.
Kent commuting from London Bridge is made more hazardous
because your train can leave from platform 2 or from platform 5 – at opposite
ends of the station. Kent commuters therefore spend a lot of time on the footbridge
poised to hurry to which ever platform is showing the next Kent train.
Eventually the 18.15 left from platform 5 – after 45 minutes
without a single train leaving for Tonbridge. A big thank you to the lovely gentleman
who gave me his seat after we left Chelsfield and allowed me put down the ton
of student marking I was carrying in my back pack.
At times platform 2 was dangerously overcrowded. If something
like this happens during the Olympics how on earth is London Bridge going to cope
without an accident?
