Delayed = Cancelled

Today was not a day to travel, and also a day for a new definition.

The top display shows a train that was due to leave Bedford at 05:48, at 05:55 it was showing as 2 minutes late. When I got to the station it had disappeared from some of the boards, others showed it just as delayed, even 10 minutes after it was due (and 34 minutes after it had failed to leave Bedford) it still showed as delayed.

This is Govia Thameslink's new definition of the word delayed. Everybody else says cancelled.

Station staff were not helpful, no announcements made, no apology either. 

It was blamed on shortage of crews (well, get some more, or treat the ones you have decently so they don't keep leaving), broken down train (simply not true despite their appalling record on this), a simple "WE'VE LOST IT" (my "it's big, metal with 8 carriages and weighs several hundred tons" didn't  go down well), and then back to no crew available.

Tweeting them didn't get a response until a second tweet saying they ignore tweets and don't respond.

Only 1 1/2 hours late due to further problems (Overground suspended, circle line suspended, district line severely limited).

Leaving work late (due to the late start), my Overground train was cancelled. 

Station staff knew the reason, knew that the next one was running OK, were pleasant and helpful and not hiding in their office.

A lesson there for Govia Thameslink, not that I expect them to want to learn it.