A Blackpool v Arsenal conundrum

[SirBroccoli]

Hi all,

Against my better judgement, but also because it's very tricky to get away tickets in the UK, I have decided to go to Arsenal's FA Cup tie in Blackpool next Saturday, travelling from Maidenhead.

On the way up, I have split my tickets, first Maidenhead-Banbury, then Banbury-Coventry and Coventry-Preston. I will also buy a ticket for the last leg to Blackpool. This leads to my first question. Given that Northern Rail are on strike again on the 5th and the introduction of Delay Repay 15, are they obliged to pay out 25% from all the tickets?

Now this game is a 5:30pm kick off, and even if there weren't any strikes on Northern, there was only one set of trains that could get you back to London after the game. So instead, i'm staying at a friend near Birmingham and booked a through Advance single to reflect this. But because of the strike, there are no trains back to Preston after the game. There aren't even any replacement buses...

So if I have to pay for any additional transport, are Northern obliged to refund this given the Consumer Protection Act and/or because they have a contract to get me from my origin to my destination?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

Cheers,
Alex

 

[island]

Where is your through single from and to?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Hi all,

Against my better judgement, but also because it's very tricky to get away tickets in the UK, I have decided to go to Arsenal's FA Cup tie in Blackpool next Saturday, travelling from Maidenhead.

On the way up, I have split my tickets, first Maidenhead-Banbury, then Banbury-Coventry and Coventry-Preston. I will also buy a ticket for the last leg to Blackpool. This leads to my first question. Given that Northern Rail are on strike again on the 5th and the introduction of Delay Repay 15, are they obliged to pay out 25% from all the tickets?

Now this game is a 5:30pm kick off, and even if there weren't any strikes on Northern, there was only one set of trains that could get you back to London after the game. So instead, i'm staying at a friend near Birmingham and booked a through Advance single to reflect this. But because of the strike, there are no trains back to Preston after the game. There aren't even any replacement buses...

So if I have to pay for any additional transport, are Northern obliged to refund this given the Consumer Protection Act and/or because they have a contract to get me from my origin to my destination?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

Cheers,
Alex

If you buy your tickets and are given an itinerary, that itinerary must be honoured, under the basic principles of contract law, let alone consumer law!

If the itinerary is not honoured, delay compensation may be applicable depending on the length of the delay and the train company which caused the delay. If no trains are running even though you bought your ticket with an itinerary on a train that no longer seems to exist, the obligation to transport you remains. On strike days this would ordinarily be by means of rail replacement buses; given that Northern have largely decided not to provide such transport, one must assume they intend to shore up the coffers of the black can industry!

Of course, the above is what the legal situation is. That may differ quite a bit from the rights which will practically speaking be honoured (even if that means breaching the passengers' contracts), and thus it would be wise to bring sufficient money to pay for alternative transport and/or accomodation for the event you are indeed stranded by Northern. It would also be wise to have a plan B if it all goes horribly wrong!

Hope that helps.

 

[SirBroccoli]

Where is your through single from and to?

It was Blackpool South to Lichfield City, changing at Preston and Birmingham NS, departing the former at 20:36, arriving Lichfield City at 23:54.

 

[Starmill]

It was Blackpool South to Lichfield City, changing at Preston and Birmingham NS, departing the former at 20:36, arriving Lichfield City at 23:54.

If you booked this against a particular itinerary, Northern are obliged to transport you in accordance with that. If trains can't run they should provide a replacement bus service or organise ticket acceptance with another public transport operator. If neither of these are possible they should get you a taxi. If even that's not possible they should provide you with overnight accommodation and organise onwards transport the following morning, as per NRCoT.

Presumably you have evidence of the itinerary as booked with your Blackpool South to Lichfield City ticket. Far be it from me to suggest that Northern might not comply with their obligations under NRCoT.

 

[SirBroccoli]

If you booked this against a particular itinerary, Northern are obliged to transport you in accordance with that. If trains can't run they should provide a replacement bus service or organise ticket acceptance with another public transport operator. If neither of these are possible they should get you a taxi. If even that's not possible they should provide you with overnight accommodation and organise onwards transport the following morning, as per NRCoT.

Presumably you have evidence of the itinerary as booked with your Blackpool South to Lichfield City ticket. Far be it from me to suggest that Northern might comply with their obligations under NRCoT.

Yep, I have an e-mail confirmation confirming that itinerary, and seats booked from Preston to Birmingham New Street. £14 for the single trip. Not bad I'd say!