The effects of disruption

The recent spate of rail strikes has made me think of the past effects of cancellations and an unreliable train service.

Back in the 1950s, my father would commute between Stevenage and Finsbury Park for work. During a protracted rail strike, he was obliged to sleep over on a camp bed at his place of work, so he decided to be independent of public transport and bought a car. He never travelled on a train again for the rest of his life.

On the other hand, being a railway enthusiast, I was determined never to have a car, and instead rely on buses, trains and my cycle to get everywhere.

However, in the late 1990s, my local service was diabolical and my daily commute between Kidderminster and Droitwich was regularly subject to delays or cancellations.

Finally, my managing director made it clear that he could no longer accept my late arrivals, so I took driving lessons and bought a car. Since then, I have only travelled by train once or twice a year, just for the novelty.

I’m sure this is not a unique story. I realise that rail workers are struggling in these difficult times, as we all are. But there are long-term effects to rail disruption which will inevitably lead to lost services, increased fares, and above all the loss of jobs.

Mick Yarker, Kidderminster