Passengers stranded on a freezing train all night in snow

In pictures: Snow and ice shut down UK

"That bus left and a second one turned up and while I was trying to sort out something that one left. I am in a wheelchair and could not actually get on the third bus." Michael eventually continued his long journey home on a 4x4 vehicle provided by Southeastern. He added that during the night the train lights "were on but the heating was not brilliant", but he took a blanket as a precaution.

Buses arrived to rescue the passengers at 5.30am today but many decided to stay aboard in the hope of getting back into work — and were still stuck at 8.30am.

Today, Stuart Holliday, 41, an electrician from Chislehurst, said: "Last night was horrendous. It's not like we didn't know the snow was coming, we've known for a week."

Commuters and families were also stuck for more than five hours on a second Southeastern train, from London Bridge to East Sussex, before having to endure a half-a-mile walk through the snow to a station staff room, where they were still waiting to be rescued earlier today.

Benji Symes was on the 10.23pm train when the engine broke down half a mile from Sevenoaks in Kent. "They tried several attempts to try re-boot the engine and even tried to get another train to try and tow us but nothing worked," he said.

"In the end we had to form an evacuation and walk half a mile or so up the track to Sevenoaks station."

Southeastern spokeswoman Sarah Boundy said: "We really do apologise for all the disruption and, of course, particularly to those trapped at Orpington overnight."

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "We have done our best to keep trains running where we can — but in Kent particularly our efforts were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of snow."

Hundreds of track staff worked through the night at busy rail junctions trying to keep line clear. There were also major problems at the capital's airports, with passengers stranded overnight at Gatwick and some facing a second evening on benches after more delays.

Mike Perry, 26, from Wimbledon was travelling with two friends to Calgary in Canada to work as a ski instructor for five months. He said the prospect of spending 24 hours at the airport was "pretty terrible". He added: "Calgary has lots more snow than this and I bet they don't have the same problems."

His friend Nick Rumbles, 21, from Oxford, said they were unlikely to get any compensation: "My insurance company said I might get £20 for every 12 hours I'm delayed but my excess is £50 so it's pretty useless."

Carol Lynch, 66, from Newmarket said the situation at the airport was "a shambles". She said: "We set off at lunchtime yesterday and only got here at 10.30pm. They said go home, but it seems they don't have any kind of contingency plan. It's shocking really."

An operations manager for Ryanair was among the thousands stranded. The airline worker, responsible for scheduling flights, was forced to sleep on the airport floor as he was unable to fly back to Dublin where he is based. The man, who asked not to be named, said he was willing to wait until tomorrow rather than try to catch a flight from another London airport. "It is not the airlines fault — it is the weather. Britain is just not prepared for it."

There were also nightmare conditions on the roads, especially in south London. One family spent more than seven hours trapped in a car to make a five-mile journey. Martin Pitchley, 48, was travelling with his daughter Ellie and his partner, Zoë, 34, from Thornton Heath to their home in Purley, south Croydon.

He said it left him no time to a buy a present for Ellie, who celebrates her fourth birthday today.

In pictures: Snow and ice shut down UK