So here I am on an immensely late train again. I had a candid chat with the driver of the train on the platform before we left who was worried we were about to get stuck behind an even slower train. He looked at me suspiciously and asked:

"You're not press are you?"

"No, don't worry" I said, thinking great, I'll blog this straight away.

"Well this is how it works. If it's our [National Expresses] fault that the train is late, Network Rail won't do us any favours, and they'll leave us to trundle along behind the slow train, even though this is supposed to be the express"

"But, if it's Network Rails fault that the train is late, then they'll move heaven and earth to make sure we get back on time, because they'd have to pay National Express a fine".

"It's crazy".

No wonder UK rail travel is so expensive compared with elsewhere when the various companies involved spend so much time an effort blaming and charging each other for cock-ups. Modern life is stupid.