This morning, after clearing some e-mails, I thought that I ought to try to physically get in to the office, if, for nothing else, to collect my car that had been languishing in the car park since I left it to fly to Bordeaux on Monday. Whilst the roads seemed (sort of) ok, so that I could get back, I listened out for trains and checked on line to find that yes, First Capital connect services were stopping at the local stn, but Southern ones weren’t. I chose to go for the 11.28 to City Thameslink (as far as they were going... fine by me, it’s only a 20 minute run to Gatwick for me.

At the station, the ticket office staff were busy with other duties and didn’t seem too optimistic about any trains stopping as none had for two hours. Hmmm. I gave it a go anyway, and whilst a south-bound Southern service clearly had no intention of stopping,

the 11.28 did indeed stop only 9 minutes late.

On arrival at Gatwick, a number of trains were parked up, and there was a large scrum to board for the passengers whose flights had managed to land at Gatwick today.

A pair of 455s were parked in platform 1... I’ve not seen one here before; perhaps it was down from East Croydon? It didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

To get to my office, I can catch a bus (if they’re running), or walk along cycle route 21 between the railway line and river (Gatwick stream?) alongside the A23.

This passes the sidings just south of Gatwick, where a very cold looking GAT-8 was sitting with a Thameslink 319 that had clearly not be running for a while.

Finally a view of the pathway, which passes between the runway marker lights ... this is the view looking south just beyond them.... nice on a summers day... a bit cold today.

I was able to dig the car out... removing about 2ft of snow from off and around it... and, good old Toyota, she started first time. The run home on the roads was far less noteworthy.