A serious incident

An enjoyable day with a ghastly end.

I went to Walsall, via Birmingham for a few refreshments, to see Coventry City lose their first game of the League season, by 2-1. Walsall were much the better side. This photograph shows Coventry's spectacular goal by Jacob Murphy, flying beyond the reach of the Saddlers' goalkeeper.

However, on the train journey back, just South of Stafford, there was a strange rattling noise and then the train stopped. A few minutes later, the Train Manager announced that the train had had "a serious incident" and we would be delayed "for quite some time." Ten minutes later he told us "There has been a fatality and we will be needing a new driver." It seems the train had hit and killed someone.

Almost three hours late we eventually got to Manchester on a replacement train. The Cross Country Trains staff were very professional but their frequent apologies for the delay seemed incongruous.