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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2016/dec/21/stuck-in-a-train-tunnel-life-got-all-a-bit-rembrandt
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| Stuck in a train tunnel, life got all a bit Rembrandt | Stuck in a train tunnel, life got all a bit Rembrandt |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The first 10 minutes of being stuck in the tunnel are fine – I mean they’re not great, but there’s air conditioning and there are lights and there’s the sense that whatever the problem is, it will be fixed soon and we’ll be on our way. | |
| We’re all on our phones, saying we’ll be a little late. | We’re all on our phones, saying we’ll be a little late. |
| In my carriage are north shore types, mostly middle aged in suits and summer shift dresses, briefcases, shopping bags with Christmas presents across the seats, heading home in the heat. | In my carriage are north shore types, mostly middle aged in suits and summer shift dresses, briefcases, shopping bags with Christmas presents across the seats, heading home in the heat. |
| I am rushing to a meeting – I need to be there for my friend to have a quorum. She is starting an NGO and its constitution stipulates five people need to attend a meeting. | I am rushing to a meeting – I need to be there for my friend to have a quorum. She is starting an NGO and its constitution stipulates five people need to attend a meeting. |
| “Where are you?” she texts. | “Where are you?” she texts. |
| “I’m stuck in a train.” | “I’m stuck in a train.” |
| I dial into the meeting. | I dial into the meeting. |
| “Just say ‘Brigid Delaney, present.’” | “Just say ‘Brigid Delaney, present.’” |
| “Present – but in a tunnel.” | “Present – but in a tunnel.” |
| The worst is that it’s Wynyard tunnel. Eugh, Wynyard, the ugliest station in Sydney. No charm, weird layout, a bad vibe attached to it, a smell like salami left in the sun. | The worst is that it’s Wynyard tunnel. Eugh, Wynyard, the ugliest station in Sydney. No charm, weird layout, a bad vibe attached to it, a smell like salami left in the sun. |
| Even its name – Wynyard – is crap. | Even its name – Wynyard – is crap. |
| Of course I would be stuck at Wynyard. | Of course I would be stuck at Wynyard. |
| At the start we are given updates every few minutes. | At the start we are given updates every few minutes. |
| “We’re going slowly because of power supply issues.” | “We’re going slowly because of power supply issues.” |
| “We’ve stopped because a train in front of us has broken down at Wynyard.” | “We’ve stopped because a train in front of us has broken down at Wynyard.” |
| “We expect delays of no more than 10 minutes.” | “We expect delays of no more than 10 minutes.” |
| And on it goes. | And on it goes. |
| The voice sounds Anglo-Pakistani and young. We collectively identify him as on our side and as clueless as we are – he’s our hapless saviour. Later he makes a weak joke, and we laugh even when there is not much air. | The voice sounds Anglo-Pakistani and young. We collectively identify him as on our side and as clueless as we are – he’s our hapless saviour. Later he makes a weak joke, and we laugh even when there is not much air. |
| All the power has gone off in trains in Wynyard tunnel and we are stuck in hot train for 30 min now | All the power has gone off in trains in Wynyard tunnel and we are stuck in hot train for 30 min now |
| we love our guard on loudspeaker - like a kind jailer | we love our guard on loudspeaker - like a kind jailer |
| About half an hour in, there is another voice. It’s mostly indecipherable, and prefaced with a loud unpleasant noise like a fax machine dialling numbers then an older voice (who is this – someone higher up in CityRail? Speaking from a control tower? Someone who has access to air?) He’s using words like “pentanenhubble” and “grid appterns”. What is this – rail talk? Then the lights flicker off in a way that can only be described as sinister and the air is cut and we know we’re in for a longer haul. | About half an hour in, there is another voice. It’s mostly indecipherable, and prefaced with a loud unpleasant noise like a fax machine dialling numbers then an older voice (who is this – someone higher up in CityRail? Speaking from a control tower? Someone who has access to air?) He’s using words like “pentanenhubble” and “grid appterns”. What is this – rail talk? Then the lights flicker off in a way that can only be described as sinister and the air is cut and we know we’re in for a longer haul. |
| A woman behind me is having a panic attack – but it’s a quiet one. Its like she thinks she’s going to die but doesn’t want to much bother anyone about it. | A woman behind me is having a panic attack – but it’s a quiet one. Its like she thinks she’s going to die but doesn’t want to much bother anyone about it. |
| She’s as sweaty and waxy-complexioned as the rest of us, but her eyes are wide and frozen and her fingers are on her wrists as if she is taking her own pulse. | She’s as sweaty and waxy-complexioned as the rest of us, but her eyes are wide and frozen and her fingers are on her wrists as if she is taking her own pulse. |
| In the seats around her are two men and a woman – older – who have something in their countenance of figures from a Rembrandt painting, specifically The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp. | In the seats around her are two men and a woman – older – who have something in their countenance of figures from a Rembrandt painting, specifically The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp. |
| They are leaning in but not too close and they are talking to her in a particular way – bland, soothing, constant: “Take a breathe and you’ll adjust. It’s OK, just a little stuffy. There’s plenty of air, you will be able to breathe – all right?” | They are leaning in but not too close and they are talking to her in a particular way – bland, soothing, constant: “Take a breathe and you’ll adjust. It’s OK, just a little stuffy. There’s plenty of air, you will be able to breathe – all right?” |
| After an hour the air has become very thin and stale. It’s the gruel of air. People were joking and talking and laughing before but the carriage is quiet – no jokes now, nor people making calls. It’s as if we want to save the air, and to talk is to waste it. There is, however, the strange strobe-lighting effect of flash photography. As we are told to move towards the front of the train, most people in the carriage are taking photos of the crush of passengers and weird, grim selfies – their shirt wet with sweat against the backdrop of the CityRail electric blue upholstery. | |
| An earlier announcement had told us to get ready to walk along the tracks – they actually used the term “detrain” (or though perhaps “derail” would be a better expression). Most of us are crammed at the front of the carriage, ready to walk. But the latest round of messages is that they are going to do a “reset” of the train – like it is a broken laptop and they just need to turn the power off and on. | An earlier announcement had told us to get ready to walk along the tracks – they actually used the term “detrain” (or though perhaps “derail” would be a better expression). Most of us are crammed at the front of the carriage, ready to walk. But the latest round of messages is that they are going to do a “reset” of the train – like it is a broken laptop and they just need to turn the power off and on. |
| I tweet about being stuck in the train. Channels Nine and Seven want me to shoot video footage. | I tweet about being stuck in the train. Channels Nine and Seven want me to shoot video footage. |
| @BrigidWD any chance you could film scene inside carriage? We're just trying to get the story up in the 6pm bulletin. | @BrigidWD any chance you could film scene inside carriage? We're just trying to get the story up in the 6pm bulletin. |
| I get contacted from someone who wants me to be on breakfast radio. But the most exciting thing is connecting with a stranger – also on Twitter – who is in the carriage ahead of me. | |
| “Do you have any water?” I ask him. | “Do you have any water?” I ask him. |
| We in same carriage ? You have water?? https://t.co/EGzDCFl410 | We in same carriage ? You have water?? https://t.co/EGzDCFl410 |
| He doesn’t but tells me: “Couple of babies in my carriage; one man fanning a stranger’s baby to keep it cool and another offering his apple!” | He doesn’t but tells me: “Couple of babies in my carriage; one man fanning a stranger’s baby to keep it cool and another offering his apple!” |
| And: “Passengers in my carriage using intercom to request guard open doors for air. Request denied for fear passengers will leave train.” | And: “Passengers in my carriage using intercom to request guard open doors for air. Request denied for fear passengers will leave train.” |
| Then right on cue – an announcement: “Do not force the doors open and walk on to the tracks.” | Then right on cue – an announcement: “Do not force the doors open and walk on to the tracks.” |
| OMG – who would do that? | OMG – who would do that? |
| Maybe someone who thinks they are going to die. Maybe someone who is having a panic attack. Maybe someone who feels as if the carriage is running out of air. | Maybe someone who thinks they are going to die. Maybe someone who is having a panic attack. Maybe someone who feels as if the carriage is running out of air. |
| There is contagion in panic. I feel a surge of it myself. | There is contagion in panic. I feel a surge of it myself. |
| There is announcement to the effect of “could all babies come to the front of the train”. | There is announcement to the effect of “could all babies come to the front of the train”. |
| I imagine all the babies jumping out of their hot prams, bidding their parents farewell and walking to the front of the train: “So long suckers, we’re out of here.” | I imagine all the babies jumping out of their hot prams, bidding their parents farewell and walking to the front of the train: “So long suckers, we’re out of here.” |
| People with bikes are to leave them on the train. | People with bikes are to leave them on the train. |
| People in wheelchairs are to stay on the train. | People in wheelchairs are to stay on the train. |
| Yet still no movement. I fantasise about breaking a window. I don’t want escape, yet I long for a cool breeze, some movement in the air. | Yet still no movement. I fantasise about breaking a window. I don’t want escape, yet I long for a cool breeze, some movement in the air. |
| Passengers around me are discussing whether or not to break out and walk along the tracks. A man behind me is telling a fellow passenger, “I don’t have anyone waiting for me at home, not even a pet.” | Passengers around me are discussing whether or not to break out and walk along the tracks. A man behind me is telling a fellow passenger, “I don’t have anyone waiting for me at home, not even a pet.” |
| After 90 minutes the Anglo-Pakistani voice surfaces again. When he says, “Finally – I think we might be on our way”, we clap him. | After 90 minutes the Anglo-Pakistani voice surfaces again. When he says, “Finally – I think we might be on our way”, we clap him. |
| Then we are told we can leave the carriage and walk along the tracks. | Then we are told we can leave the carriage and walk along the tracks. |
| My trio of Nicolaes Tulps are still low-talking to the panicked passenger, but she is up, standing and ready to roll. | My trio of Nicolaes Tulps are still low-talking to the panicked passenger, but she is up, standing and ready to roll. |
| We exit down a ladder and a ramp and on to the pitch-black tracks with lights here and there. I look out for rats and feel obscurely disappointed when I see none. | We exit down a ladder and a ramp and on to the pitch-black tracks with lights here and there. I look out for rats and feel obscurely disappointed when I see none. |
| The man in front of me touches one of the lights as we pass, as if to gauge what it’s made of. Maybe he’s always wanted to walk the tunnels. We walk up a ramp, on to another train, the one that’s stuck – and walk through that then on to a platform where someone gives us bottles of warm water. And then we “tap off” – that will be $3.38 thanks – and ascend from Wynyard up to George Street. I gulp the air. | The man in front of me touches one of the lights as we pass, as if to gauge what it’s made of. Maybe he’s always wanted to walk the tunnels. We walk up a ramp, on to another train, the one that’s stuck – and walk through that then on to a platform where someone gives us bottles of warm water. And then we “tap off” – that will be $3.38 thanks – and ascend from Wynyard up to George Street. I gulp the air. |
| Being evacuated in the Wynyard tunnel pic.twitter.com/N4Zaku5FmU | Being evacuated in the Wynyard tunnel pic.twitter.com/N4Zaku5FmU |
| Private passions | Private passions |
| After such an ordeal I get home to a note a neighbour has left me under the door. | After such an ordeal I get home to a note a neighbour has left me under the door. |
| “I personally in my 30+ years in this unit, never hung my private wears in the public line … it is very unpleasant to have the private undies of other people’s where I can’t avoid it.” | “I personally in my 30+ years in this unit, never hung my private wears in the public line … it is very unpleasant to have the private undies of other people’s where I can’t avoid it.” |
| Only a week ago I had written a column about breakfast host Sam Armytage being underpants shamed, and now I was being shamed for my undies hanging on the clothes line. | Only a week ago I had written a column about breakfast host Sam Armytage being underpants shamed, and now I was being shamed for my undies hanging on the clothes line. |
| Is this a thing? Is it really considered bad form to hang your underwear on a communal clothesline? It’s just material, drying in the sun. | Is this a thing? Is it really considered bad form to hang your underwear on a communal clothesline? It’s just material, drying in the sun. |