Travelling from Scotland to Wales after Storm Darragh
In this blog post, our Community Manager Joe tells us about his recent trip to Cardiff and the challenging experience he had travelling from Scotland to Wales after Storm Darragh.
My favourite part of my role as Community Manager at Euan’s Guide is that it allows me to travel to new and interesting places, write about my experiences and improve accessibility countrywide.
I set myself a goal to visit Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland during my first year at Euan’s Guide. I’m glad to say I’m three-quarters of the way there, but that almost wasn’t the case due to disruption caused by a large storm at the start of December.
In October, I booked my transport and accommodation and completed the planning stage of the journey, safe in the knowledge that in early December I’d be on my way to Wales. I decided that Cardiff, as the capital, would be a good place to visit as there aren’t as many reviews of the city as I’d like to see.
The plan was to depart on Sunday 8 December in the afternoon, taking the Glasgow–Crewe train and then the Crewe–Cardiff train.
The two-train, six-hour trip would get me there just after 6 pm, and I’d spend three full days in the city before heading home on Thursday morning.
On the evening of Saturday 7 December, I was paying close attention to news reports of a particularly nasty storm affecting parts of Wales and England, Storm Darragh. Until around 7 pm, all of the train information I read suggested the journey was going ahead.
Then I saw that every Transport for Wales train, including the Cardiff-bound train on the second leg of my journey, was cancelled due to extreme weather warnings in the city. This meant I could get to Crewe, but I couldn’t get to Cardiff.
After a brief moment of panic, I reassessed my options and moved my trip to Monday, by which time it was expected the storm would have passed. After a call to ScotRail, who refunded the costs of the outbound journey, and a quick rebooking to a very early Monday morning train, my plan was set. Rather than three full days, I’d have two and a half – better than cancelling the entire journey.
Given the surprise of the previous night, I refreshed the Transport for Wales app more times than I care to admit, but everything seemed to be going my way. With my assistance confirmed via the passenger assistance app, the good folks at Avanti West Coast were ready and waiting for my arrival. They helped me board the train and made sure I was settled.
And settled I was – a little tired, but with a coffee and some relaxing music playing in my headphones. Half an hour before we arrived at Crewe, there was an announcement over the tannoy advising passengers getting off at Crewe for the quicker London train to remain on board as a landslip had caused the other train to be cancelled.
I suddenly had a feeling I should check my train again and... the Crewe–Cardiff train had been cancelled for the whole day. I was halfway into my six-hour journey, and my second train was no longer running.
A little later, a ticket inspector confirmed this and advised that I could take another train back home from Crewe and have my journey refunded in full. It looked like I had another three hours in the opposite direction.
If that were to be the case, I was at least going to get a review of Crewe train station. The staff arrived to let me off the train much later than was comfortable – I’d started to worry they’d forgotten me.
I found myself sitting with the wheel of my wheelchair power attachment between the doors, but they arrived before long. I wasn’t going to Cardiff, but I definitely wasn’t going on a mystery train ride.
The assistance team booked me on a direct train at 12.30 pm – it was just after 9.00 pm when I arrived – but also mentioned the option of taking two trains to get home, which I really wanted to avoid.
I went for a wander, getting some photos of the station and the Changing Places toilet, and recording accessibility info as I went. When I was happy I had enough to write about, I grabbed a tea and started looking at my route home. Then I had a thought – could I get to Cardiff another way?
It was explained to me that the trains weren’t running as the tracks were waterlogged, but that was only one route. I looked at alternatives and spoke to the station staff again, who explained that due to the situation, I could take an alternative route from Crewe to Birmingham New Street, then a train from New Street to Cardiff. We were back in business.
The Birmingham train was due ten minutes from this realisation, so I met the staff on the platform and boarded. I managed to get a space in the accessible carriage, right next to the toilet, but the hour-long trip wasn’t too bad.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. I had a ten-minute window to transfer to the Cardiff-bound train and, of course, that didn’t happen. The next train was an hour later, giving me two options: wait in the accessibility lounge or add an unexpected review to my growing list – I chose the review.
I found New Street to be more space station than train station, with high arching ceilings and a 10-foot mechanical bull named Ozzy in the main foyer. Definitely not what I expected to see in a train station. Thirty photos later, I went to the lounge to wait.
Ten minutes before the train was due, the staff led me and a visually impaired lady to our platform. I could only watch in shock as someone blocked the lady’s path with a suitcase, causing her to fall over. If not for the assistance of the staff, she would have fallen.
As we waited to board the train, the platform began to get especially busy. When the train arrived and stopped several feet in front of me, there was an announcement – the train had been cancelled.
The train that I could physically touch had been cancelled. Staffing issues apparently. This made me wonder if the staff had somehow all got off at the previous stop. The next train was an hour and ten minutes later.
I passed the time by writing the first draft of this blog and returned to the platform after an hour. I thought the platform was busy before, but now it was twice as hectic.
The train was absolutely packed, and I was left wondering how on earth I was getting on as the staff fetched the ramp. They put the ramp down, and as I made to ascend it, someone stood on the ramp, blocking my path, to speak with a ticket inspector.
With help, and the assistant loudly telling several people to move, I boarded the accessible carriage. The wheelchair space was filled with people and bags and given that the train was now double-stuffed like a human Oreo, I was thankful to even be on board.
I had anticipated the train emptying as we went, but it only seemed to get busier until Gloucester.
Two hours on, many of the sardines had left the tin, I had room to breathe, and now, 10 hours into my six-hour journey, I was in Cardiff – I thought about reviewing the station but thought, nah, I’ll do it on the way back! I’d seen enough train stations for one day.
The trip was undoubtedly stressful, quite literally a perfect storm with both the terrible weather and the Christmas rush conspiring against my well-set plans, but I learned a lot along the way.
It taught me the value of adjusting when things go wrong and the importance of seeking opportunities as they arise.
It was the initial suggestion of the staff on the first train that I turn around and go home. Had I acted on their suggestion, I’d have been on my way back to Glasgow within ten minutes of arriving at Crewe.
Instead, I managed to visit two additional stations, review access at 29 locations in Cardiff and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that disabled passengers face not only at Christmas but year-round, from missed connections to failed assistance, cancellations and the extra toll of extending our journeys.
Though an undercurrent of humour flows through this blog, I encountered much frustration along the way, but even that frustration has value. It brings to light the reason Euan’s Guide exists and reminds me of how important our work continues to be.
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