BR apology shock

OUR REGULAR travel pages contributor Simon Calder reports that British Rail seems to have undergone something of a sea change in its attitude towards dealing with disgruntled passengers.

'A week ago last Sunday the Stansted Express broke down, arriving at the Essex airport an hour late, which meant that dozens of passengers missed their flights - including me. I was travelling on a bucket-shop ticket which, unfortunately, could not be transferred to another airline.

'But back at Liverpool Street station, BR apologised for the inconvenience caused in the most tangible way possible. First the duty station manager offered me a phone to book the first flight out to Paris the next day. Then he handed over the cash, in real pounds 20 notes, to pay for the British Airways ticket.'

Just an example of a pre-privatisation sweetener, or has BR really changed its spots?