LONDON commuters have been told that train delays are the result of “dew on the tracks”.
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Travellers from parts of Kent and Sussex received the bad dew news this morning as they waited for trains into town that didn’t come.
“Dew gets on the tracks and makes conditions difficult,” said a spokesperson for train company Southern.
“This is a railhead phenomenon that happens at this time of the year.”
At other times of the year, of course, passengers have been handed different weather-related explanations for train delays, from the infamous “wrong kind of snow” to the familiar “leaves on the line”.
In short, expect delays in the autumn, winter and spring and don’t think the summer lets you off as that’s when they roll out the old “excessive heat on the tracks” classic.
Other late-train greats include: “We apologise for the delay. This is due to a delay in the actual service,” from London Underground and, to show the olden golden days of steam engines were no better, there is one explanation on record from Fenchurch Street station back in 1948 in which passengers were told that hold-ups were the result of the “wrong kind of coal”.
