Like many train users, Mr Grayling is going nowhere in a hurry

To recap. Two weeks ago, Northern Rail switched to new timetables so that they could run more trains. These timetables, however, were an instant disaster, with countless trains having to be cancelled. So yesterday they switched to an emergency timetable, featuring fewer trains.

In other words: to avoid cancelling trains, they decided to cancel trains.

Unfortunately, some of the trains that hadn’t been cancelled in advance ended up getting cancelled on the day instead.

Northern Rail, however, aren’t the only ones floundering. There’s been similar chaos across the country. And, indeed, in Parliament. Yesterday Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, agreed to hold meetings with angry MPS. But at the last minute he cancelled most of them, because he found he didn’t have enough time after all.

He did manage, however, to come to the Commons chamber, so MPS made do with shouting at him there instead. “Resign! Resign!” yelled Labour. Gavin Shuker (Lab, Luton South) said that in his entire Commons career he’d never seen “such a complacent performance”.

Chuka Umunna (Lab, Streatham) called Mr Grayling “utterly pointless”, because “on his watch, nothing ever changes”. (Not true. The timetables seem to be changing every halfhour.) Barry Sheerman (Lab, Huddersfield) demanded that the Government adopt Labour’s policy. This of course is to renationalise the railways, so that instead of the trains being messed up by the private sector they can be messed up by the public sector.

Tory MPS sounded just as furious as Labour, but some of them at least tried placing the blame on someone other than Mr Grayling. Bim Afolami (Con, Hitchin & Harpenden) attacked the senior management of Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway, his local franchise. Mr Grayling promised Mr Afolami that he would “establish who is directly responsible”. “YOU are!” bellowed Labour.

On and on the drubbing went. Mr Grayling was all over the place. Heavy, slow and lumbering, he swung this way and that in helpless bewilderment. Outside the chamber, a spokesman for Theresa May insisted that the Transport Secretary had the Prime Minister’s “full confidence”. It looks as though Mr Grayling isn’t going anywhere. So at least he knows how most passengers feel.