Crossed Line

Crossed Line 

I was deep in thought when the old platform attendant tapped me on the
arm and confided "The headboard is wrong, wait for the next train." Not
waiting for an acknowledgement, he shuffled off to inform the few
others waiting on the platform. I looked up at the electronic
destination board. "MORDEN VIA CHARING CROSS - 2 mins" it read, and
beneath, the same but five minutes. I idly considered changing at
Camden town, but I had plenty of time, and since the next train was
only three minutes later, the frenzied dash between platforms was
unlikely to show any advantage.
So when the train came only a couple of people got on, the rest of us
staying where we were. The next train came on time, and getting on, I
hoped the headboard was correct, but no staff were around to ask. The
doors opened at Chalk Farm and stayed open. After five minutes or so
they were still open and I started to get worried I might be late after
all. Just then an announcement came over the P.A. system, "We regret
that due to an incident at Camden Town this train will terminate here.
Please continue your journey by bus. Your tickets will be honoured." I
sighed to myself "Someone on the line, I suppose," though this was
unusual; they mostly chose Kentish Town to end it all.
I rushed out and jumped on the first bus and arrived just in the nick
of time, as Karen was beginning to get worried.
Later that evening at her place the Ten o'clock News reported on a
tube crash at Camden Town. I pricked up my ears.
"A southbound train ploughed into the back of a train waiting to enter
the station, causing two fatalities and twenty six injuries, some
serious. Both trains were derailed and crews are still working to clear
the track. A guard is believed to be among the injured"
The camera cut to a shocked passenger, blood on her face. " I wish I
had taken the platform attendant's advice" she was saying, "at Belsize
Park, that is, and waited for the next train, but I thought I could
change at Camden town for the Charing Cross line. Suddenly there was
this violent jolt and all the lights went out."
I was jumping out of my seat now, but it was the next cut, to an
Underground official, that set my pulse racing and my hair standing on
end. "This is rather puzzling," he was saying, "as the train was a
Charing Cross train and we had no platform staff on duty at Belsize
Park this evening".
Well, I had been waiting at Belsize Park too, so who was the old man in
the London Transport uniform?