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Train in Vain
Train in Vain
Friday, 22nd Apr 2011 13:42

More than 50 fans missed last night’s derby defeat to Norwich due to severe disruption on the London to Ipswich railway line. Journeys from London Liverpool Street to Ipswich were taking three hours, almost three times as long as usual, causing supporters to arrive at Portman Road as late as the 70th minute of the match.

One unhappy fan, Gareth Mead, told TWTD: "With the final score so bad it might have been a blessing in disguise, but the disruption on one of the busiest days of the year was pathetic.

“I was devastated to miss two-thirds of the match. National Express and Network Rail need to make a significant apology and should fully compensate those travelling, not just for the cost of the train fare, but for the football ticket too.

“With rail tickets costing as much as £68 to stand in a dirty carriage for much of the evening and match tickets at around £30, Town supporters spent close to £100 for nothing.”

Gareth was on the 17:58 which should have got into Ipswich at 19:21. Instead it was cancelled once it arrived at Colchester at around 20:25.

This then returned to London with a few Ipswich fans on it that had given up. Those that remained had to wait a further 15 minutes for another train which finally got into Ipswich at 20:55.

According to the noticeboards at Liverpool Street the 17:50 was "delayed" indefinitely and the 18:10 was cancelled.

Gareth says there were a catalogue of errors and failures by the terminus and rail line companies: “Many ticket machines at London Liverpool Street were not accepting credit or debit cards, leaving queues of half an hour in order to collect or buy tickets.

“Their claims of up to 30-minute delays at London Liverpool Street proved wildly inaccurate, with trains arriving one hour and 40 minutes late.

“There were announcements by the driver but the Tannoy system wasn't working so no one could hear what was being said.

“I would estimate that there were around 50 people wearing Ipswich Town replica shirts, with potentially many more, including Norwich fans, left with a ruined evening - not taking into account the final score.”


Photo: Action Images



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whoppit added 13:48 - Apr 22
Those lucky devils !!!!
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GreenwichBlue added 13:51 - Apr 22
I was on that train! Ridiculous. You should have seen everyone running to the stadium from the station. Wish I hadn't bothered though.

Will National Distress pay up?
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Paulc added 13:53 - Apr 22
It must have been terrible for all involved. Mind you my story is more heartbreaking; I saw the whole match, I am now scarred for life.
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Garv added 14:07 - Apr 22
Greenwich did you know the score before you got into the ground?
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jas0999 added 14:18 - Apr 22
National Express and Network Rail sound as competent as Simon Clegg! Oh well, they had a lucky escape. Wish I had missed the match. Truely terrible. Possibly the worst I have seen from an ITFC team.
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GreenwichBlue added 14:19 - Apr 22
I did but always live in hope. Those that gave up at Colchester must have heard the score too.
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BasingstokeBranch added 14:40 - Apr 22
I'm surprised there were only 50, there were at least 10 in my carriage. I gave up at Colchester at about half 8.
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blueblood66 added 14:41 - Apr 22
you were the lucky ones in the end! Seriously I hope you get refunded by the train company, it is a disgrace in 2011 that our rail network is unable to function at sny level of decent service and cleanliness.
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NoCanariesAllowed added 14:52 - Apr 22
All jokes aside about the result, if the fans in question have any trouble getting refunds, they might be well advised to contact the Football Supporters' Federation (www.fsf.org.uk) with their story and make a collective claim against the operator.
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Garv added 14:57 - Apr 22
Well you can't have been to many bad losses then Jas0999. You can say the result is one of the worst but the performance, no. Obviously I'm not saying we were good but no where near some bad games in the recent past. It's only because it was Norwich that people are sprouting all this rubbish about tearing up contracts, worst performance etc.
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my3girls added 15:33 - Apr 22
Agree with you Garv, I've seen worse, even this year, Scunthorpe at home for example. We've a way to go clearly, but we've turned the corner, and at least we won't suffer relegation as NCFC did. Mind you that sorted them out.
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clive_baker added 15:40 - Apr 22
That is a joke! The fact we got a hiding is besides the point, they didn't know the game was going to be such a washout for town fans.

Full refunds all round if you ask me. Not good enough.
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bigfish added 16:53 - Apr 22
The trains are a poor over priced rip off - a bit like yesterdays match in my view.
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SonOfSpock added 18:02 - Apr 22
Surely National Express has saved the 50 hapless souls from years of mental anguish and depression by missing that pile of tud that was shown on the pitch?
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sussexblue added 18:44 - Apr 22
The roads were no better. I travelled from East Grinstead in Sussex approx 100 miles usually takes me 2 hours max. Thursdays excursion took me 5 minutes short of 5 hours. Will I being doing it again. Yes of course i will !!!
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Sospiri added 19:31 - Apr 22
Phil - not an ageing Clash fan, by any chance?
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broomfield123 added 20:05 - Apr 22
wish id gone by train
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jas0999 added 00:05 - Apr 23
Garv - you must be easily pleased!!!! How many actual shots AT the Norwich goal testing the keeper? I have been to every home game for many years (ten years +), so please don't question me. I am very entitled to my opinion and I'm afraid the one up made this 'performance' even worse.

If you were happy with this performance then great. I wasn't. How on earth you can justify a 5-1 defeat as an acceptable performance is beyond me I'm afraid - but you are very entitled to your opinion.
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stinkiusminkius added 08:41 - Apr 23
However Jas0999 - you watched 18 months of rubbish under keane and seemed perfectly happy to still big him up and were clearly easily pleased during that time. Yes this was a shocking result and the performance WAS better than the result, although still not great.
But in general there have been improvements under PJ and there is cause for excitement next season when he has a full summer of getting his own players in.
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Notts_tractor added 11:39 - Apr 23
I AM an aging Clash fan, and appreciated the headline, although not the contents. The rail network is an abysmal service and hugely overpriced, still suffering from privatisation and under investment by the Tories in the 80's and 90's. Politics over, I had a very easy run down from Nottingham and a very enjoyable evening until approximately 7.59.
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TractorRoyNo1 added 17:43 - Apr 23
also hundreds missed the ko because portman road was blocked, apparently the signals went wrong at diss so budgie train arrived late
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confoosed_dot_com added 20:16 - Apr 25
I was one of them! And once they had already ruined our night they could have had the decency to further delay the train! Full refund plus the cost of the footie ticket I think. Most depressing moment was when the train I was supposed to be on but which was 'cancelled' came speeding past somewhere outside Romford (this was about an hour after we left Liverpool St).
And £60 for the privilege
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