'My two-hour nightmare'

The scale of the problem facing commuters today was underlined by a journey I made from Cambridge to London.

I jostled for a space on the 7.05 to Liverpool Street. It was a slow train but the station assistant warned me to take it after telling me trains to King's Cross were delayed and liable to cancellation. I boarded and struggled to find a space.

My fellow passengers told me the only way to join the King's Cross line was to leave the train and take a taxi to Hertford North.

But after a £22 taxi ride I was greeted by a ticket inspector who sad trains were not stopping at the station. He directed me towards a queue of coaches running a diversion to Hertford East from where trains were running to Liverpool Street.

Instead, I took another taxi to Stevenage and just missed the 8.48 service to King's Cross. Throughout my journey I was surrounded by confused and angry passengers.