TRAIN PAIN
Rail chaos as biggest engineering hits lines
descend on the system across the UK. Virgin has forecast the longest delay in the rail network’s modern era.
Passengers on the usual 38-minute trip from London Euston to Milton Keynes will have to endure a three hours and 44 minutes slog, including a dreaded rail replacement bus.
Slashed
And train companies have slashed the number of discount fares to discourage passengers from travelling.
London-Crewe returns usually come as cheap as £18 with two advance £9 singles.
But customers will now have to pay £72 for on-the-day returns.
South Western Railway advance singles between London and Bournemouth usually start at £11.20. But customers will have to pay £45.30 for a day return. Bruce Williamson of campaign group Railfuture said: “Customers will not be happy about reduced advance fares while engineering works are taking place.”
Thousands of Wigan rugby league fans travelling to Saturday’s Challenge Cup Final against Hull at Wembley will be stalled by the chaos.
Travellers in the south can expect more than a week of problems.
London Bridge, Charing Cross and Waterloo East will be mostly closed from August 26 to September 2.
Meanwhile young fans headed to Reading and Leeds Festivals yesterday. Tens of thousands more are expected to hit campsites after picking up their GCSE results this morning.
Weather over the weekend will stay sunny with showers on Monday.