Today, 18th January, it was time for me to return to my boring role as a student at tutoring in Hurstville. I actually caught an earlier train from Parramatta so I could arrive earlier and sit in the air conditioned building.
BUT...
My train (which was practically an all stops unfortunately) stopped at Harris Park. I sat there unaware for quite a while, reading The Quiet American by Graham Greene, until my instincts started telling me that we'd been sitting there for too long. Outside my window, there were two men talking (rather yelling at each other across two benches). One of them, the one right under my window on the platform was mentioning how it was 44 degrees in the city and 45 degrees in the west.
...He also mentioned that Australia was a third world country now because the train didn't have air conditioning.
Believe me, I thought it was supposed to be 35 degrees.
I was trying to sit still and read calmly and not fan my face even though my legs were just sticking to the seat from the heat. After a while, suddenly the woman a few seats in front of me stood up, as well as the guy lounging nearby in another seat. So I hurried off the train as well.
Apparently our train was stuck "indefinitely". You have no idea how horrifying it is to hear the word "indefinitely" in regards to a train delay.
So everyone was pretty much packed outside on the station because there was no air con in the train at all. It was an old 'tin can' as we students call it.
It took at least 15 minutes. I think what really riled everyone up was when the announcer overhead brought everyone to attention, and then told us about the train on the other platform which is going to Parramatta.
A woman nearby said "Oh who cares!" I actually agree. After giving us two announcements about "indefinitely" and "we'll let you know when we know more", telling us to go backwards in the opposite direction was really unappealing.
It only got worse when this train to Parramatta was a new Millennium with air con that we could feel gushing out at us from across the platform.
Actually about half the people started getting into the air con train. One couple was leaving, grumbling determinedly about catching a taxi. Unfortunately, I can't catch a taxi all the way to Hurstville, so I stood, waiting with the other passengers determined to GET THERE.
Finally, we got back on the train, and chugged on.
The announcement was very un-motivational. It told us that "at this point" we are only going to Granville.
...So we got stuck at Granville.
And everyone got out, and stood on the platform again.
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Then there was another announcement about Platform 3. I couldn't even see what platform I was on, but everyone started running up the stairs for the other train, so I just followed everyone onto the other train.
It was still a tin can... BUT IT HAD AIR CON!
Everyone was chattering away, and the woman who I was in the same carriage with the first time sat in front of me, saying how she was from Scotland and she wasn't used to this kind of weather with a laugh. [Side note: she was reading Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford]
We still sat there for a very long time, waiting for the train to actually depart from Granville. A long, long time later (probably only 10-15 minutes again) there was another announcement and an apology and something else and then everyone in the carriage went "OHHH" that was half-groan half-joyful exclamation.
The train starts moving slowly.
Apparently the problem was a points issue at Flemington and wiring and signal problems on all lines except for the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line due to the heat.
By then, I calculated that I would be an hour late for tutoring. And gave up. I turned around at Strathfield to go home.
So, I was hoping to catch a nice fresh rather empty air con train back to Parramatta, BUT I'm stuck with the unfortunate Richmond which is packed to the brim full of people like a typical sardine train in summer and stuffy and tin can-ish and not at all air conditioned. The only thing that kept me alive was the air vents in the doors. Or else everyone would probably have melted. As I was getting onto the train with an internal grumble, one disembarking woman warned the woman with a pram in front of me that it was so hot in the train and it was dangerous for the baby and she shouldn't risk it.
You can imagine the woman with the pram looked alarmed.
You can also imagine how I felt when I finally arrived at Parramatta station and went into the Westfield to cool down and I bought myself an ice cream and everything.
I thought this was the end of it.
Hahahaha I had an old bus too. But this blog is about trains. So thus ends this horrid tale of heat and failed endeavours.
Flame on.
