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You might be interested in what was meant to be a 33 minute trip from Edinburgh. Last week my wife and I were on holiday in the Scottish borders last and decided to take a trip into Edinburgh by taking the train from North Berwick. I had not "done" the branch before or travelled on those EMUs, so it was a first for me.
The return journey was "interesting" - we caught the 15.37 from Waverley and had a normal run to Wallyford but I noticed we then had a double yellow followed by a single yellow and were almost brought to a stand at the next signal before the stop at Prestonpans. It was then a succession of yellows until Longniddry where we waited at a red signal until it reluctantly changed to a yellow. We were obviously behind something that was it trouble and sure enough we were brought to a stand about halfway to Drem. The cause of the trouble was obvious, as just ahead I could espy a freight train.
The driver got down to the signal post telephone and the train having drop-down windows, I was able to overhear his end of the conversation. He was told to phone again in 10 minutes. He and the conductor went through the train telling us that a rescue loco was on its way from Millerhill. 20 minutes and two more phone calls passed and I could imagine the 16.00 London express lurking behind us. We were then given clearance to return wrong line to Longniddry. Here we stopped and after another 10 minutes or so of waiting, the crew were told to return empty, wrong line, to Edinburgh.
We were turned out on to the platform, I counted at least 25 of us, and we were told a bus was on the way to take us on to Drem and North Berwick. The train then departed. It started to rain and we all attempted to keep dry in the tiny shelter or under the footbridge. A long dreary time passed and eventually the relief transport arrived - an 8 seat minibus! The rest of us were left looking bemused and feeling rather isolated. I noticed there were loudspeakers at the station, presumably fed from Edinburgh, but at no time were any announcements made. The relief loco had passed us wrong line while we were returning to Longniddry, presumably it had to go to Drem to cross over before backing on to the failed freight.
Eventually a train hove into view, it was the 16.00 off Edinburgh to London, running wrong line, and nearly an hour late, followed soon after by a Royal Mail EMU running right line. Presumably the line had been cleared. By 17.30 mutiny was breaking out on the platform and was only quelled by the appearance of the 16.37 off Edinburgh, running very late, we clambered aboard and set off again. We were stopped outside Drem and was interested to see the signal clear to a double yellow without the "feather" for the branch being lit, so I assumed something was up. Sure enough, we were all detrained at Drem and the crew announced they were returning to Edinbugh to get the stock back into place. More mutterings from two trainloads of passengers! However, as soon as the empty EMU had run forward on the main line, the 17.07 off Edinburgh rolled in and we all flooded into the train, much to the bemusement of those already aboard!
We finally rolled into North Berwick at 18.00, three trains and 143 minutes after departing Waverley - something of a record?
Editor's note:
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