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October 12, 2005
Travelling by train - never again
This is a short story about what happened on my journey back from Amsterdam last week. If you're just interested in technical stuff, just stop reading NOW
Still there? Fine :) After trying to get back from the GetTogether last week, I'm now sure, I will avoid travelling by train whenever possible. The journey was really interesting and it was like in a movie where some guy tries to get in time to a different place. Now I guess, those of you trying to get back to Belgium (like Jorg) had fun as well, but listen what happened to me.
A arrived 30 minutes early at the central station in Amsterdam, immediately found the right platform and waited for the ICE to Duisburg. The signs above the platform already showed that the ICE will arrive in time. Ok, so the only thing missing was to find where my waggon would come to hold to get to my reserved seat. Not that easy in Amsterdam but finally I found the information. In the meantime there were several announcements on the platform in Dutch, but as they are usually doing the announcements in three languages it couldn't be important, right? Ten minutes to go and the platform started to get empty. Strange, so I looked at the sign: still showing that the ICE would arrive in just ten minutes. And then out of a sudden there was an announcement that the ICE would not drive through Amsterdam central station on that day and that all passengers should use the next train to Arnheim. The sign above the platform was cleared and that was it. Uh? Ok, fortunately I found a group of some other Germans understanding a little bit of Dutch and they had heard that we had to go to platform four and there would be a train to Arnheim. Ah yeah, and the ICE to Duisburg should wait in Arnheim for us.
Ok, no problem, so we went to platform four, but no train to Arnheim could be seen. Some other guy had heard that the train would leave in another ten minutes. Great, so everyone heard just a piece of information and by combining them we knew how we could get possibly back. Anyways, unbelievable, but ten minutes later the train arrived and we entered it, found a seat and off we go. Of course, we asked the train conductor how we are supposed to get back. And the only thing he knew was that the ICE should wait in Arnheim - and he didn't want to give further information as we were on a Dutch train and the ICE was a German one...
And then, three minutes after we left Amsterdam central station the train came to a full stop and we heard the following announcement: "Our way is currently blocked by another train which engine broke so we can't go any further. We don't know when our travel will continue. We inform you as soon as we know more." Argh, so we were stuck in Amsterdam in the middle of nowhere and noone knew what would happen with our ICE in Arnheim.
But fortunately, eight minutes later the problem was solved and the journey continued. The rest of the journey to Arnheim went very smoothly and during the trip we heard the announcement that the ICE will wait in Arnheim on the other side of the platform where we would arrive. Fine, so everything should come to a good end, right?
The train arrived in Arnheim, we hurried out of the train, went to the other side and - wait a minute - no train to see! So what should we do now? Fortunately some mintes later we were informed: "Unfortunately, we don't know when the ICE will arrive in Arnheim. We inform you as soon as we know more." Uh? They don't know? Did the train disappear? David Copperfield is currently touring, so could it be...Seriously, we tried to get more information at the station but noone knew more. After fourty minutes waiting several people went away and took a taxi to get to somewhere in Germany to continue the travel from a "better place". I was with a group of four other Germans as the rumour came up saying that the train would arrive in one hour from now. Actually, it seemed that this was the next ICE - but we didn't really trust that information. So as we were about to leave to share a taxi, a Dutch guy came over who wanted to travel to Germany with the ICE as well. And now with a Dutch speaking person we tried to get hold of some officials to get more info. And unbelievable but true, we got the information that actually the ICE was about to enter the station. Apart from telling us the wrong platform, the ICE actually arrived just three minutes later and we could enter.
The ICE had a problem with the engine, so apparently it never made it to Amsterdam. It stopped in Arnheim, was repaired and then returned from there.
Ok, now we were in the train and everybody found a seat - well nearly. Five minutes after the train left Arnheim, there were some people insisting on their reserved seats. Now, there were two things wrong with this imho: first, the reservations were for Amsterdam (to somewhere), as the train started in Arnheim, they were obsolete - actually I had a reservation as well, but didn't care as I was happy to have finally a seat (and a train!). And second, there were still free seats. So instead of pickung up just a free seat, those guys insisted on their seats, the people sitting there had to move to the free seats (sometimes just one row behind!) and then everyone was happy! And in fact this was such a big problem, that some minutes later the official announcement could be heard, that all seat reservations were still valid and that people not having a reservation should not take reserved seats. Now, a lot of "relocation of people" took place. Very funny, but imho totally useless. Fortunately, the guy who had a reservation for my seat never showed up...
Anyway, now the train was 90 minutes late, and it was obvious that I wasn't able to get my booked connection from Duisburg to Paderborn. Arriving at Duisburg station some time later - the travel went without further problems - I immediately went to the big schedule plan and found out that there was no direct connection to Paderborn anymore. Ok, no problem, I thought, and went to the info desk and ask for the next possible route. It turned out that the next train would leave in just one minute on the other end of the station (approx. 450 meters) - but in case, the guy at the info desk wanted to give me the next (and final) posibility as well. But now he had problems with the printer and it took a little bit longer to print the route. As soon as I had the paper in my hands, I hurried to the other end of the station and saw from down the stairs that the train was still there (the train was three minutes late). Great, I thought, started to run up the stairs and as I was in the middle, the train departed. Damn, if only the printer had worked the first time...
Ok, so another one hour wait for the final train which arrived just in time. I entered the train, found a free seat and wondered three minutes later why the train was still in the station? Then the conductor gave the nice information that there was a police mission on the rails between Duisburg and the next station, and he didn't know how long this would take and when the train was allowed to leave. Now, at this time, I really needed something to bang my head against very hard several times. Fortunately? I didn't find something appropriate...
But after 15 minutes we were finally allowed to leave. The problem was that I had to change trains in Hamm and if the train would be on time, I had 20 minutes to change trains. Now, this train already had a delay of 18 minutes...but luckily the train made it just five minutes before the next one to Paderborn should leave the station. So, happily I run to platform 2, where the train should leave and found out that noone - no passenger and no train - was there. So I looked up the sign, which stated that "today the train will leave from platform 5". Grmpf, so back downstairs, running to platform 5, entering the train, finding a seat and off the train went. One hour later I happily arrived in Paderborn. Puh. What a journey - it took me more than eight hours while the usual trip takes about four and a half.
Actually, it's really interesting as I use the train only once or twice in a year, but each time I do, something goes wrong :( And the great advantage of a car is that you can leave whenever you want. Fortunately my next journey will take me to California, so I guess I will not go by train there...
Posted by cziegeler at October 12, 2005 06:59 PM