After a busy few days working in the capital as it baked in the sun it was lovely to abandon the hot and humid underground to climb aboard the air-conditioned comfort of Grand Central’s 14:48 service to Bradford.

But it could have all gone horribly wrong. A signal failure at Retford was causing delays of around 50 minutes as trains were queuing to get through the area.

But Grand Central had a cunning plan. The train crew had route knowledge which took in the diversionary route via the ‘Lincoln avoider’ and Gainsborough Lea Rd. This allowed us to bypass the blockage. Train Manager Tony Singh did his utmost to keep everyone informed and we passengers enjoyed a scenic diversion through a landscape rich in rapeseed rather than being stuck on the ECML.

Well done Grand Central for keeping up crews route knowledge on useful diversionary routes.