That is exactly why I prefer buses to trains for intercity trips. On the bus, there's someone waiting at the door to check your ticket before you get on and make sure you get on the right bus. And they call out all the stops, rather than having to strain my eyes for every tiny sign that flashes by as they're pulling in lord help you if you're at the back of the train where you will get no indication of what station you're at until the train is pulling out. Got stranded for 2 hours in a suburb of Dresden because of that and had to buy an extra 6 Euro ticket to make it to the actual downtown station.

Sounds like it also might have been a Scooby Doo chase scene going on outside. Gotta consider all the possibilities ;)