A pensioner has vowed never to travel by train again after a cramped and delayed journey put an end to her annual jaunts to Blackpool.

Barbara Medd, 63, from Helmsley, was forced to stand in a cramped corridor with a dozen other passengers for more than two hours after twice being forced to change trains, leaving her uncomfortable and angry.

She booked tickets in advance through a travel agent for her trip with Northern Spirit with her two daughters to the seaside resort - but faced a "nightmare" on her way home.

Arriving for the return journey, she boarded the train and sat down in her reserved seat.

But an announcement asked the passengers to move to another platform for the journey.

"We trudged across and sat down on the other train," she said.

"But after sitting there for ten minutes another announcement came over the Tannoy telling us to return to the original platform - which was the same train."

Unfortunately, when returning to the first train, she was unable to get a seat and was forced to stand near the doors - one of a dozen people in the confined area.

"It was horrible," she said.

"We should have been sitting down anyway, but it was cramped and we did not feel safe."

She added that a young woman with a baby was also forced to stand - and the trail of expletives coming from two youngsters also in the standing area compounded the problems.

"I wrote to Northern Spirit and they wrote a letter of apology and offered us travel vouchers," she added.

"But I don't want them. I don't want to travel on the trains again - there will be no more trips to Blackpool for us."

A spokesman for Northern Spirit said: "It is unfortunate that there was not more chivalry evident on the journey from other passengers.

"The reserved seats should have remained available even after the change of trains.

"We are sorry that her journey was uncomfortable and not as attractive as we would have wanted it to be."

* Have you experienced a rail journey from hell? If so, ring Dan Rutstein on 01904 653051 ext 304 or e-mail dan.rutstein@ycp.co.uk