Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at broker John Charcol, was one such casualty last night after he was forced to sleep on a train, drink tea and eat biscuits in freezing conditions before going to work on his day off.
After attending last night’s Headlinemoney Christmas drinks in London’s West End Boulger set off at 10pm to Victoria station to catch the train home to Redhill, Surrey.
But the departure boards boded ill for Boulger, each one flashing “delayed”. After finally catching a train, he and hundreds of other passengers came a cropper at East Croydon when the guard suddenly announced that “a broken down train between Gatwick and Three Bridges” meant everyone had to go back to London.
Never one to accept official announcements without a cross-examination, Boulger set off in search of the guard.
“If the only thing stopping us is a train on the track between Gatwick and Three Bridges, can’t we just go as far as Redhill?” Boulger asked.
“Ah, well, not really. There’s also some bad weather,” replied the guard looking hunted.
Needless to say, frustrated passengers piled back on to a train at 1am and finally arrived into Victoria at half past the hour.
“We were shunted around and then finally given some tea and biscuits to warm us up, then put on another train in the sidings,” explained a bleary-eyed Boulger today. “I read till about 3am and then started to feel quite sleepy.”
At 6am the station staff told passengers huddled in the stationary train that all services south were off till 10am.
“At that point I decided to give up and go to work,” said Boulger. “And on my day off too!”
Today, after a hard day’s work, including telling Mortgage Introducer his thoughts on the Irish debt crisis, Boulger remains stranded in London.
The Brighton line is closed and the worst fate may yet await. The BUS.
Elsewhere in England, Southern trains has suspended its services and Southeastern is running an emergency timetable.
Gatwick Airport will remain closed until at least 0600 GMT on Friday, after 15cm of snow fell overnight.
Severe snow warnings have been issued for Scotland as well as eastern and southern England. At least 6,500 schools across the UK have been closed.
Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond told the Commons he was doing everything he could to keep Britain moving, but his Labour shadow minister Maria Eagle accused him of "complacency".
In England, the Met Office has issued heavy snow warnings for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands, and the South West.
In Scotland the warnings apply to Central, Tayside and Fife, and South West, Lothian and Borders.
The BBC weather centre said temperatures of up to -25C (-13F) in the Grampian area are forecast for Thursday night.
Are you stuck at home or in the office? Tell Mortgage Introducer your snowmares and send us your pictures.
Call Sarah Davidson on 020 7490 1365 or email [email protected]
