Commuting by train implies distance - you have dress shoes, can you cache a sturdier walking shoe at your place of business, or are you comfortable walking the entire distance in these dress shoes? I have some Rockport Dressports, I travel and often walk many miles in cities with them, they're comfortable and I am confident that they would get me home from most distances.

Like Teslinhiker said, you don't specify how far you are from home - and why do you need to get there; is there a child in daycare, a wife expecting you every night at 6? Home is nice, but if you are really distant you may need to face up to the fact that you won't be getting home right away, or even for a few days. On the one hand you can walk all day for a day or two, or you might have a prearranged plan for your child or wife, someone to care for them, and make it home as soon as you can.

Think situationally for a minute - if something rules out travel by train or hitching a ride with a co-worker, where would you go, would you go all the way home, stay at work, or someplace else? Make a plan - if your train commute is disrupted - and try to make it flexible enough to cover whatever it is you may experience: winter storms, earthquakes, floods etc, whatever happens whereever you live. I am either thousands of miles from home, or within about 7 miles most of the time, but a few times I can be 20+ miles from home, and I need a plan to be on my own in the event of a disaster, especially if an earthquake takes out one of our floating bridges. Think about it, you may have a friend or relative who lives reasonably close to your place of work, where you can crash and wait things out; or find out if your new co-workers live nearby, and cultivate those relationships :-) Or for garden variety disruptions, booking a room at a nearby hotel/motel while waiting for things to get back to normal can be a welcome change.