When the 11.15 is not the 11.15 on a tough morning at Waverley - Susan Morrison

We’d spent the last ten minutes watching trains approach, then sighing with disappointment when they swung away to other, luckier platforms.

Naturally there was a great deal of clucking, tutting and eye-rolling from the fare-paying passengers. No idea if the staff were clucking. We didn’t see them. There was no-one to tell us what was happening.

Obviously there was stushie afoot, so I assume it was all hands on deck, but the station boasts a whizzbang gizmo called a Tannoy. This marvellous device can be used to communicate information to the travelling public, for example, why there are no trains.

The technology works, because we heard the robot voice announce endless platform changes. People were swirling about Waverley trying to find platforms they didn’t know existed until yesterday.

We on Platform 12 were just abandoned. Finally, glory be, a train pulled in.

The 10.45 was no more. This was now the 11.15. We all gratefully boarded. Calls were being made all around me about late arrivals and rescheduling meetings.

The onboard tannoy worked as well as the station system, and it was in the hands of an expert. An exasperated human being said, “Sorry folks, this isnae the 11.15. Ah know it looks like the 11.15, but it isnae. Yeez’ll need tae get aff.’

I translated for two nice American ladies.

We got off. The train that aspired to be the 11.15 pulled away, but hoorah, another one appeared minutes later. Mutinously, we took matters into our own hands and piled aboard this new, tempting train.

The PA crackled again. “This” said a voice awash with triumph, “is yer 11.15.” Pause. “Its gonnae be a wee bit late. But this is the 11.15.”

There were echoes of Gerard Butler bellowing “This is SPARTA!”

Found out later that the vanishing train wasn't entirely ScotRail's fault. There was a signalling problem between Haymarket and Waverley.