You know there's a problem when...

It took me over an hour to get home tonight.  The journey usually takes no more than 15 minutes, so now, I'm all behind schedule.

Not long after I had boarded the train, the doors closed and the train driver announced that he had been advised not to move the train until further notice.  You could hear his curiosity come through in his voice.

About ten minutes later, his voice came through the public address system again and said that there was a point problem at South Kensington.  He was sorry he couldn't tell us any more than that.  He promised to tell us more as soon as he knew more.

Outside the train, there was an announcement being made to the platform.  Words like "suspended" and "until further notice" bled through into the train.

At about the 25 minute mark we heard from our driver again.  He said he didn't know what to think.  The platform announcements he could hear were different from what he was being told directly.  "So now I don't know what to tell you.  I think you should do whatever you want."

Titters of frustration rippled through the train carriage.

I've noticed that the most honest statements on public transport are made by the drivers.

High speed rail from Melbourne to Canberra to Sydney to Brisbane?  An interesting idea.  I'd like some reliable rail in the Melbourne metropolitan area that isn't so over-crowded that  I have to travel with my nose pressed into a stranger's armpit (or worse)!

Were you late today?