COMMUTERS have slamed a nightmare day of travel as "shambolic".

Richard Gilson, who travels from Manningtree to London daily for work, has hit out at the service after last Wednesday's delays.

Workers were left stranded or held-up on replacement buses after overhead cables were torn down in Kelvedon.

People packed on to a single train at Manningtree Station, only for it to be stopped a few miles down the line at Colchester North Station.

There were then a string of cancelled trains from 6am.

Richard said: “The railway staff at Manningtree station did not have a clue. They were more concerned about us standing behind the yellow line in case we would be hit by a cancelled train.

“There was no help for people going on holidays who rarely use their service.

“It was totally shambolic, the CEO should be ashamed of himself.”

One commuter witnessed a replacement bus service broken down on the A12 with commuters waiting in the rain at the side of the road.

Both Network Rail and Greater Anglia apologised to customers following the delays.

Commuters who had been delayed by more than 30 minutes were reminded they could claim compensation from Greater Anglia.