Shite Customer Service.

As I'm working all weekend, I asked the staff at my local station what services were running like this weekend.
I was told that all the trains were running to there normal timetabled running, so that means my first trains on Friday and Monday will be at 05:29 and 06:02 on the Saturday and that I need to drive to Bedford to catch my train to London on Sunday morning and all this over the Easter weekend as well.

On Wednesday I bumped into a DSM from my old Camden group who told me that there will be replacement buses running on Saturday and Sunday between Kettering and Bedford, as my station is slap bang in the middle of these I spoke to the station staff again who confirmed that there is no bus service and trains will be stopping normally.

However after checking the National Rail website, it looks like I do have buses running instead.

I rang East Midlands Trains customer service and was put through to the automated voice service, which went a little like this.
"Would you like Train Times ... Say Timetable"
"Would you like ticket prices ... Say Tickets"

This went on for about five minutes when I finally get told "I'll put you through to a customer agent"

Ring Ring "Hello you have reached the National Rail enquiries on an international number please call again using the UK number" brrrrrrrr click silence.

So me being me I rang back

Once more onto the voice activated prompt cuts in

"Would Like" says the machine "Human" says I
"I'm sorry I didn't" says the machine "Human" says I
"I'm Sor" ... "Human"
"I' ... "Human"

I'll put you through to a customer agent.

"Hello this is Trevor" comes a voice with a distinct Indian/Pakistani call center accent.

"Can you tell me about the train service from Wellingborough this weekend?" I asked
"I'm sorry from where?" comes the reply

It was at this point that my head hits the table in frustration.

So after spending over 15 minutes speaking slowly on the phone to the man called Trevor I finally have the details I need.

Normal train times from Wellingborough to London this weekend.

I arrived at Wellingborough station at 05:25 ready to catch the 05:29 train and feeling the joys of an early turn to see on the dot matrix.

05:50 London St Pancras ........ On Time

Hang on I don't have an 05:50 from Wellingborough to London, my first train is at 05:29 not 05:50 so where is the 05:29.

I spoke to a member of staff who told me "I don't know as it's my first day back for two days and it was running at 05:29 on Tuesday.

Well it bloody well isn't today.

God only knows what I'm going to face for the rest of the Easter.