Travellers faced train trouble after they were left unable to buy a ticket at Berkhamsted station.
Both ticket machines were out of service and no-one was manning the ticket desk so travellers were forced to get on trains without tickets on Thursday.
Tim Shaw was trying to get home to London after spending Christmas with his family in Berkhamsted.
He said: “I tried every option to buy a ticket but it was just a pain. I had loads of bags with me and I just wanted to get home.
“I have family in Berkhamsted and I don’t visit them as much as I would like to purely because I can’t bear the train journey. It should only be a thirty minute journey but it’s always such a nightmare because the trains are so bad.”
Train operator London Midland apologised for any inconvenience caused.
A spokesman said “If passengers can’t buy a ticket at the station they should purchase a ticket from the conductor on-board. If this isn’t possible and travelling to Euston, they should purchase on arrival. In this case passengers should speak to a member of staff and tell them what station they have travelled from.”