Anger and dismay spread among businessmen and women, holidaymakers and shoppers as news of the trains crisis broke at York Station.

A majority of travellers were unaware of the delays and were sent into a panic when they realised they wouldn't be able make their business meetings.

Mobile phones could be heard all over the station as those travelling to London opted to conduct their meetings over the telephone or faced cancelling them altogether.

Stranded travellers were offered free tea and coffee and the use of a telephone as they waited in the station for the earliest train.

Tourists Steve and Karen Kinsella, both 37, from Sydney, Australia, had been hoping to spend their last day seeing the sites in London after visiting York.

"Fortunately we're not flying until tomorrow, but we had hoped to get an earlier train so we could look around London - we won't get there until middle of the afternoon now," said Steve, who had been visiting his grandmother in Scarborough.

It was his wife Karen's first visit to this country.

She said: "I was really looking forward to seeing Buckingham Palace, but I don't think we'll have time now. I am really disappointed because I will go back home without shopping at Harrods."

Steve added: "Everything is really organised at the station and the staff have been really helpful. It's just a little annoying when you're waiting around with so much luggage."

Businessman Robert Mills, of Acomb, who travels to London twice a week, was left to conduct his meeting over the telephone. He said: "I was due to get the 7am, which would have got me into Kings Cross just before 9am. It's so frustrating because I've been told the last train back is at 5.30pm - absolutely ridiculous."

A spokesman for GNER said: "We've gradually introduced more trains today, but we cannot guarantee that there will be a full service in operation tomorrow.''

York Railway Station business manager Clive Gossop said: "The majority of people have been very sympathetic and understanding, and those whose journey was regarded as urgent we've helped as best we can."

He added that he hoped that the train service would be "nearly back to normal" tomorrow

"I think it is perhaps wishful thinking on my part that a full service will be available tomorrow because 80 per cent of our trains have to be checked."

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