What's it really like trying to get to London and back at the moment? Liz Page reports

5am Tuesday: No trains at all yesterday, but I've got to be in central London by 10.30am for a meeting. Ring national railway inquiries line. All lines are already busy. Try three times, then decide just to go to York station.

6.10: Arrive York. Helpful GNER lady says 6.02 Kings Cross train is due to depart at 6.35. Can't guarantee when it will arrive, but allow at least three hours. Decide to give it a go and buy newspaper and novel to pass the time.

6.35: Train pulls out of York station with estimated arrival time of 9am. Not too crowded - it's still early after all.

8.00: Arrive Peterborough where train becomes packed. But then it could always be like this at rush hour. Surely, we'll never get there for 9am.

9.15: Still travelling. Passenger announcement reveals that GNER is no longer able to run even its emergency timetable due to increased restrictions by Railtrack. Hoping to run return service from Kings Cross once an hour, on the hour. Passengers strongly advised to check with GNER before setting off.

9.30: Arrive at Kings Cross, where it's strangely quiet because there are so few trains. Dash across London and arrive at meeting in good time.

12.30pm: Arrive back at Kings Cross to find huge queue for 1pm train, stretching right out of the station. Join it. Very visible police presence ensures order is kept and queue jumpers are sent to the back. No-one runs, but everyone walks purposefully. No seat reservations and any passenger can sit in First Class. Soon becomes standing room only. If it's this full at 1pm, what on earth must the rush hour be like?

12.55: Announcement that train is very busy. Anyone with luggage on a seat is instructed to remove it, to enable more people to get a seat. Many don't succeed.

1.05: Train pulls out of Kings Cross. Announcement gives apology for cramped conditions, blamed on the weekend's storms. No trolley service due to "technical difficulties." Buffet car will open in 20 minutes.

1.15: Buffet opens and long queue forms.

1.30: First Class is officially derecognised and First Class ticket holders told to claim a refund of the extra fare.

2.15: Train due to arrive in Peterborough. Passengers informed that buses are available to Doncaster and York, should anyone wish to leave the train. Don't see anyone taking up this option.

2.30: Estimated time of arrival in York given as 3.40pm. Apologies again. Delays blamed on adverse weather and Railtrack speed restrictions.

2.45: A trolley arrives! Tea and sandwiches in great demand from the ever-cheerful GNER staff.

3.40: Arrive - not in York, but in Doncaster after miles of very slow travelling (is there a man with a red flag walking in front of this train?)

Apology that estimated time of arrival was "a little bit out." Blamed on Railtrack introducing speed restrictions during the day. Cramped passengers remarkably stoical and good-humoured.

4.05: Arrive in York. See lady sitting on a suitcase in corridor with young child and tell her that I've seen a few empty seats. She gives a resigned smile and says having got this far she might as well stay where she is until she gets to Newcastle. Wish her luck as crowd of new passengers attempts to embark.

4.30: Back at the office. Normally, it's a pleasure to travel by train to London, but I wouldn't advise anyone to do so until the timetable's back to normal.

And the message to GNER chiefs? Your great staff deserve a medal.