First Capital Connect (FCC) has apologised to commuters at St Albans station who suffered peak hour delays this morning (Monday) because a train had no driver.

Commuter and leader of the Lib Dems at St Albans district council, Cllr Anthony Rowlands, said he arrived at the city station to catch the 8am train to London when he noticed a stationary train at the first platform.

He said: “Travellers were confronted by the sight of 7.52am Sutton train stuck fast at St Albans station because of the lack of a driver.

“As a result all the slow and semi-fast services using platform one were held in a ‘log-jam’ north of St Albans.”

Cllr Rowlands added: “The lady on the tannoy was doing her utmost. She said, ‘we are waiting for a driver’. She eventually said there was a driver coming from Bedford.

“So the 7.52am train finally left at 8.17am, but by then it was a fast train so if you wanted to stop en route, you had to get on another train.

“It was very inconvenient for passengers.”

A spokesman for FCC said: “We are very sorry for what happened and apologise to everyone affected.

“Unfortunately this morning, one of our drivers was late arriving at St Albans city station for reasons which are under investigation.

With the closest driver depots being at Bedford and Blackfriars, there was no one we could bring in to cover his turn more quickly.

“There were delays to both his service, the 7.52am to Sutton, and a number of others.”