Power Failure

Published on 28 August 2003 in , , , ,

They say that where New York leads, London follows. And so tonight we had a power cut.

Around 6:20 my Piccadilly Line train pulled into Turnham Green after limping along from Stamford Brook. After a few minutes we were given a garbelled message about the signals not having any power between Hammersmith and Acton Town.

The train power supply in this area was working as after about ten minutes, a Piccaddilly line train came in slowly from the opposite direction.

On the train, knowing very little, you could tell it was very serious as at 6:35 they told us to leave the train and indeed the station as they were shutting up shop. Four trains (2 District, 2 Piccaddilly) worth of people spilled onto the wet streets of Chiswick.

Thankfully getting home wasn’t a major problem after realising that the E3 bus went in the vague direction. One change at Acton Town Hall onto the 207 and I was heading in the right direction.

I’m sure however that most of the train look confused when they heard the announcement that all London Underground services were suspended.

I for one thought I’d mis-heard, or they had got it wrong. It was only when I got home that I found out that it was no lie, and that huge chunks of London were without power, abliet for nowhere near as long as the east coast of America recently. Somehow I doubt the American press were following this one as much as we were following their power problems.

All I can say is thank goodness I was above ground and in a station. The thought of being evacuated from a train between stations just doesn’t bear thinking about.