Monday 11th January, 2010, morning

Like most I’ve had enough of the snow now. There’s been a light fall overnight, making the walk to the station more treacherous as it hides the partially thawed grey slush underneath. A weekend’s use has given the previously pristine park a slight yellowish tinge, punctuated by the odd turd courtesy of the less diligent dog owning members of our community.

I arrive at the (deva)station to a scene of general despair. FCC has made the most of the weekend and yesterday’s slight thaw, and has worked tirelessly to fail to find a way to fix the problems and so the emergency timetable is still in operation. This amounts to one train every half an hour with a few random extras. Even by their standards this is a pathetic performance, and a pitiful service to support the volume of commuters using this line. They offer their ‘sincerest apologies’. How much longer before we can reciprocate, and offer them our ‘sincerest condolences’ for the loss of their franchise?

Trains arriving at St Albans are already crowded and I stand no chance of getting on the next one. FCC announce that they have provided a free coach transport to Hatfield Station for anyone who would like to sample the quality of their service on the Great Northern Route. I consider their kind offer for a few seconds and, in the interests of warmth, experimentation, and maybe making it to work before it is time go home, I decide to accept.

I board the coach and settle into a comfortable seat. After around 20 minutes of rush hour traffic we’re almost back at my house. Traffic then improves somewhat and the journey speed increases. As we thunder down the Hatfield Road we pass what I assume is the Oaklands College First XV out training on a snowy pitch. Hard men, these rugby types. After 35 minutes we arrive at Hatfield Station.

There is a train due in 10 minutes which promises to take me fast to Finsbury Park. It arrives on time and I take a seat on a nice new, comparatively clean train. There is plenty of space, adjustable air conditioning vents and the ride is very smooth and quiet. A revelation. Is it always like this I wonder?

I get off at Finsbury Park to find that the next Moorgate service is due in 10 minutes. This is much more like it – a dirty, old, tired and generally crappy train. Crowded (albeit not on the St Albans scale) but certainly bearable for the short journey from here into Moorgate.

The total train journey time was around 40 minutes, roughly the same as the journey from St Albans to Moorgate. Wonder what the parking is like at Hatfield?