Blinkbonny
Member
- Joined
- 16 Mar 2018
- Messages
- 349
Every time I go to Lancaster something seems to go wrong - so obviously I was up there on Wednesday attempting to travel back to the West Midlands.
I was killing time before catching the 14.57 Virgin, queuing to buy a ticket for the Castle Guided Tour, when at 12.15 I got a text advising me my service may be subject to a delay. (First time I'd signed up for this, and I'm glad I did!) The forecast was for a "One hour 15 minute delay." Well, I didn't fancy that so I left the Castle and walked down to the station to see if there was any chance of being allowed on an earlier service.
Of course, once I got to the station I saw the full extent of the disruption. I was advised to either come back hours later or else get in the queue for the coaches to Preston. Well, I couldn't do that there and then as my bags were still at the hotel. So I walked back into town, collected them, and then mused over the best next step - my experience of replacement coaches and their queues not being a good one!
As chance would have it the hotel was right next to the bus stops for the local services, and there was one to Preston in 15 minutes. Not being able to face another long walk back up the hill - this time with bags - I got the service bus instead. 75 minutes and 62 stops- and then another bus from the bus station to the rail station.
I arrived at Preston station, pushed my way through the queueing throng and found my booked train waiting for me with seven minutes to spare.
Good old me, you might say, a triumph for pluck and ingenuity! But here's the thing. It was all my own doing. No way would me turning up at Lancaster station for 14.57 got me anywhere near to Preston for the 15.17. I'd have been two hours late home and possibly more.
Virgin, to their credit, have seen my booked train and refunded me in full for the ticket without me having to ask. They have saved me from wondering whether to claim or not. It would have been easy to come up with some hypothetical timings based on likelihoods, but to be honest that wouldn't have sat right with me. And there could even have been the highly unlikely scenario of them somehow having got passengers to Preston for 15.17!
BUT I missed out on my tour of the Castle, endured the nightmare journey to Preston at my own expense and could have still missed my train!
In theory I presume I am entitled to no compensation at all, as I was not "delayed."
Will I be pointing this out and returning it? Err.....NO!
I was killing time before catching the 14.57 Virgin, queuing to buy a ticket for the Castle Guided Tour, when at 12.15 I got a text advising me my service may be subject to a delay. (First time I'd signed up for this, and I'm glad I did!) The forecast was for a "One hour 15 minute delay." Well, I didn't fancy that so I left the Castle and walked down to the station to see if there was any chance of being allowed on an earlier service.
Of course, once I got to the station I saw the full extent of the disruption. I was advised to either come back hours later or else get in the queue for the coaches to Preston. Well, I couldn't do that there and then as my bags were still at the hotel. So I walked back into town, collected them, and then mused over the best next step - my experience of replacement coaches and their queues not being a good one!
As chance would have it the hotel was right next to the bus stops for the local services, and there was one to Preston in 15 minutes. Not being able to face another long walk back up the hill - this time with bags - I got the service bus instead. 75 minutes and 62 stops- and then another bus from the bus station to the rail station.
I arrived at Preston station, pushed my way through the queueing throng and found my booked train waiting for me with seven minutes to spare.
Good old me, you might say, a triumph for pluck and ingenuity! But here's the thing. It was all my own doing. No way would me turning up at Lancaster station for 14.57 got me anywhere near to Preston for the 15.17. I'd have been two hours late home and possibly more.
Virgin, to their credit, have seen my booked train and refunded me in full for the ticket without me having to ask. They have saved me from wondering whether to claim or not. It would have been easy to come up with some hypothetical timings based on likelihoods, but to be honest that wouldn't have sat right with me. And there could even have been the highly unlikely scenario of them somehow having got passengers to Preston for 15.17!
BUT I missed out on my tour of the Castle, endured the nightmare journey to Preston at my own expense and could have still missed my train!
In theory I presume I am entitled to no compensation at all, as I was not "delayed."
Will I be pointing this out and returning it? Err.....NO!