toffeedanish
Member
- Joined
- 13 Dec 2010
- Messages
- 73
I bought a walk-on return ticket online and tried to collect at Huddersfield yesterday morning prior to travel with my scribbled down reference number and purchase card. Because of the system fault I was unable to do so. I asked gateline staff what to do and they said not to worry as the fault was known about, to board my train, and to collect my tickets at first opportunity.
Following this advice I boarded a Northern service for my first journey leg to Sheffield. On board I explained the situation when the conductor asked for my ticket. He said if I had neither a ticket nor an email proof of purchase (I had shown him my hand-written reference) I would have to buy a new ticket to my destination. Not having funds for this I declined. I was then asked to buy a new ticket as far as Sheffield. I was not prepared to do this as I may have faced the same problem on all my other trains that day.
I said that I had been advised by his colleagues at the station to board. He said that Huddersfield was a Transpennine station and their representatives should not have allowed me through the gateline without ticket or email onto a Northern train. I said that the fault was evidently a national one, and could he check this? He said that he was well aware of the problem and that Northern's policy was to charge for a new ticket in these circumstances. I again declined.
After a lengthy and stressful conversation he came up with a 'work-around'. As it happened, I remembered I did have a device with me which would have the emailed proof of purchase on it, were I able to connect to wifi. The conductor gave me a code to access wifi and I was able to show him the email. I do not know what the outcome would have been if I did not have my device with me (I don't normally travel with it). At Sheffield I was able to collect my tickets without further issue.
Before I contact Northern, I would like to canvas opinion here.
My questions are: is Northern's policy in these circumstances as stated by the conductor? If so, should every online ticket interface state that proof of purchase email should be carried at all times in case of a system fault?
Even though a seasoned traveller I was left stressed by the incident and I can well imagine others being put off travelling by rail by similar.
Following this advice I boarded a Northern service for my first journey leg to Sheffield. On board I explained the situation when the conductor asked for my ticket. He said if I had neither a ticket nor an email proof of purchase (I had shown him my hand-written reference) I would have to buy a new ticket to my destination. Not having funds for this I declined. I was then asked to buy a new ticket as far as Sheffield. I was not prepared to do this as I may have faced the same problem on all my other trains that day.
I said that I had been advised by his colleagues at the station to board. He said that Huddersfield was a Transpennine station and their representatives should not have allowed me through the gateline without ticket or email onto a Northern train. I said that the fault was evidently a national one, and could he check this? He said that he was well aware of the problem and that Northern's policy was to charge for a new ticket in these circumstances. I again declined.
After a lengthy and stressful conversation he came up with a 'work-around'. As it happened, I remembered I did have a device with me which would have the emailed proof of purchase on it, were I able to connect to wifi. The conductor gave me a code to access wifi and I was able to show him the email. I do not know what the outcome would have been if I did not have my device with me (I don't normally travel with it). At Sheffield I was able to collect my tickets without further issue.
Before I contact Northern, I would like to canvas opinion here.
My questions are: is Northern's policy in these circumstances as stated by the conductor? If so, should every online ticket interface state that proof of purchase email should be carried at all times in case of a system fault?
Even though a seasoned traveller I was left stressed by the incident and I can well imagine others being put off travelling by rail by similar.