Crewe to Edinburgh Waverley : Please help me!

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

Hello,

I am travelling tomorrow from Crewe to Edinburgh Waverley at 10.20 via Virgin. The first leg is a replacement bus service to Preston where I change and then get a train from Preston to Edinburgh.
I have had a look and the bus journey is predicted to take two hours on google maps. However, my ticket says my bus will arrive at Preston at 11.45 and then the train to Edinburgh will be at 11.54.

If I miss this connection the next Virgin train departs two hours later. Virgin have told me I must get the train that is two hours later and not the train that is one hour later with Transpennine express.

I have had a look online and I can get a 10.11 train from Crewe to Preston and this arrives at 11.38 and costs the same as the replacement bus service (£23).

However, I have been told I cannot change this portion of the journey but instead have to change the entire thing and pay an extra £154, which I absolutely cannot afford. But nor can I be two hours late.

When you put in your tickets Crewe - Edinburgh tomorrow it does not give you the option of catching the 10.11 train first to Preston it only gives you the 10.20 bus service option. I can only see the 10.11 train to Preston when I separate the journey legs in the search.

Is there any solution??

RailUK Forums

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

Can I just buy new tickets going to Preston and then join the second leg of my journey as planned with my original tickets? I have etickets.

najaB · 2 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
I am travelling tomorrow from Crewe to Edinburgh Waverley at 10.20 via Virgin. The first leg is a replacement bus service to Preston where I change and then get a train from Preston to Edinburgh.
I have had a look and the bus journey is predicted to take two hours on google maps. However, my ticket says my bus will arrive at Preston at 11.45 and then the train to Edinburgh will be at 11.54.

If that's the timetable that the railway has provided then that's the timetable they have to honor.

Are you sure that the 2 hour isn't for departing now and hence showing a longer journey because of traffic disruption? Looking at tomorrow it says the journey time is around 1h 25m.

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

The railway can't honour it though if I miss that second leg. And I will, particularly given the state of Cheshire and the floods.
Sorry I'm not sure what you mean about the 2 hour isn't for departing now? This is what my tickets say:
Crewe 10:20 - Preston 11:45 (bus)
Preston 11:54 - Edinburgh 14.19 (train)

That bus journey is a 56 mile journey currently showing to be between 1.50 - 2h journey on google maps.

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

Next virgin service from Preston is 13.54. There is a 13.04 run by transpennine express but Virgin say I'm not allowed to board it.

Darandio · 2 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
That bus journey is a 56 mile journey currently showing to be between 1.50 - 2h journey on google maps.

It will do right now, it's one of the busiest times on a Friday. It won't be the same tomorrow morning.

If you want to rely on Google to calculate, you can actually do it for that specific time tomorrow morning, it's then 1hr to 1hr 25 mins.

30907 · 2 Aug 2019

You could approach the guard of the 10.11 and ask if they would allow you to board. However, the train might be very full, and they might refuse - and of course it might be running late, in which case you still have a problem.

It is strictly wrong to start your Advance-ticket journey at Preston, but as there is no loss to VT it would normally be OK - and in this case it wouldn't even be spotted.

If you are seriously tight for time at Edinburgh and cannot risk a delay you could consider
(1) trying the 0920 bus on the same basis as the 10.11 train - there may not even be a ticket check - and if that fails
(2) buy an Anytime single and board the 0930 to Piccadilly then the 1026 to Preston arriving 1103.

That said, there don't appear to be particular flood issues affecting the M6 (whicg I drove part of this morning) and traffic was lighter than I am used to.

najaB · 2 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
Sorry I'm not sure what you mean about the 2 hour isn't for departing now?

The two hour journey time that Google Maps predicts is for a journey right now. Changing it to tomorrow morning and it says that it should take about 1h 25m.

sheff1 · 2 Aug 2019

I assume you hold an Advance ticket ? If so, was the 1020 bus the journey option you selected ?

If yes, then you will need to pay extra to change your journey. I cannot see where the extra £154 has come from though - a Anytime Single from Crewe to Edinburgh is only £93 and an Off Peak Return (valid anytime on Saturday) is £110.40. It will, of course, be possible to bring those figures down by buying split tickets.

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

Sorry I failed to mention there are TWO of us! Hence the £154. Yes the 10.20 was the one I selected, there was no option for the 10.11 and still isn't without splitting tickets. I know for future to now always do this.

bb21 · 2 Aug 2019

I can only second the suggestion to ask the guard nicely on the 1011. Unless the train is very full I would imagine it is unlikely he will say no.

Alternatively nothing wrong with getting the 0920 bus.

Bertie the bus · 2 Aug 2019

najaB said:
The two hour journey time that Google Maps predicts is for a journey right now. Changing it to tomorrow morning and it says that it should take about 1h 25m.

Google isn't reality. It's a guess. It's a summer Saturday and tomorrow looks like decent weather so lots of people on the M6 heading to the Lakes and Blackpool. If I absolutely couldn't miss the booked train from Preston I wouldn't rely on Google's guesses or the later bus.

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

My priority is avoiding any scenario where I may have to end up in court or in some kind of prosecution situation.
Can I check does getting the 10.11 train or 09.20 bus not invalidate my ticket? Could this lead to problems on the second leg of the journey that I did not do the correct thing for the first part of the journey (even though I would have got permission?

Getting the 10.11 train will be tricky if they say no I then have to leave the station and go out the station to where the buses are, could take some time and may be cutting it fine.

I would very happily get the 09.20 bus would this likely be accepted or will I most likely be told no as I hold an advance single ticket for the specified journey only?

bb21 · 2 Aug 2019

Which reserved service(s) are shown on your tickets? I don't think buses are reservable, in which case you can take any suitable connection.

Taking the 0920 is a very sensible option, and perfectly reasonable.

If you sought permission from the guard on the 1011 before boarding and the guard said yes, then you are perfectly entitled to take that train.

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

Hi please see my ticket does this answer your question?

If the bus isn’t reservable how come when I called the train to ask to change that part of the journey they wouldn’t let me and said I would have to change the whole journey?

bb21 · 2 Aug 2019

The bus isn't actually reservable but the ticket is very poorly laid out. Had you collected an ordinary ticket from a machine at the station or booked at a ticket office I am pretty certain you wouldn't have got the bus printed.

I think the best thing you can do tomorrow if you can get the 0920 is turn up for that bus. I doubt you would have a problem getting on the bus. In the unlikely event you get turned away, try asking the guard on the 1011 before boarding. If both fail (highly unlikely) then get the 1020.

Relax regarding the legality. You won't get in trouble for doing the above.

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

OK so getting the 09.20 bus would just be dependent on a kind train guard bending the rules?

30907 · 2 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
OK so getting the 09.20 bus would just be dependent on a kind train guard bending the rules?

Not bending the rules, just doing what the rules allow them. Customer service helplines and similar can't do that, as you discovered.
In practice there arent normally guards or conductors checking, and its unlikely there would be no seats.
If you are refused, then pay an Anytime fare for the train as I suggested earlier.

Parham Wood · 2 Aug 2019

There is of course no guarantee the 10:11 will arrive in Preston in time to catch your train, particularly if it is taking a diverse route, then you could be stuck for claiming any delay compensation particularly if the bus arrived on time.

sheff1 · 2 Aug 2019

bb21 said:
The bus isn't actually reservable but the ticket is very poorly laid out. Had you collected an ordinary ticket from a machine at the station or booked at a ticket office I am pretty certain you wouldn't have got the bus printed.

Indeed. The supposed "mandatory" nature of the 1020 bus could not be made clearer on the e ticket, even though it should not be mandatory at all. Another case where paper tickets have advantages over etickets.

Hopefully, though, you are correct and there will not be a problem boarding the earlier bus.

Upset76 · 2 Aug 2019

So would the guard be in his right to deny me to board the 9.20 bus? If my ticket isn’t checked could I be done for a bylaws offence?

some bloke · 2 Aug 2019

If @Upset76 and companion are wary, would it be sensible for them to ask station staff to endorse the tickets in writing for the earlier bus - to give them peace of mind?

najaB · 2 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
So would the guard be in his right to deny me to board the 9.20 bus?

To be honest I would be very surprised if they do anything more than a very cursory check on the buses. I think in all the times I've got a rail replacement bus I've only once had a ticket check (and that was pretty much "Do you have a ticket? Yes, good.")

sheff1 · 2 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
If my ticket isn’t checked could I be done for a bylaws offence?

If your ticket isn't checked I am struggling to understand how anyone would report you for any sort of ticketing offence.

paddington · 3 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
So would the guard be in his right to deny me to board the 9.20 bus? If my ticket isn’t checked could I be done for a bylaws offence?

There are no guards on buses. The driver, who will be an employee of the bus company, may want to see you have an orange-coloured bit of card (actually waving a phone may confuse them in my experience) but they usually know very little to nothing about train tickets.

Upset76 · 3 Aug 2019

Hi all, I got the 09.20 bus and my ticket was not checked so hooray I am currently in Preston and on time! Thanks so much to the forum as I would never have thought to get that bus!

najaB · 3 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
Hi all, I got the 09.20 bus and my ticket was not checked so hooray I am currently in Preston and on time!

Glad to hear it.

30907 · 3 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
Hi all, I got the 09.20 bus and my ticket was not checked so hooray I am currently in Preston and on time! Thanks so much to the forum as I would never have thought to get that bus!

As a matter of interest, did it depart and arrive on time?
I ask, because driving north on the M6 an hour later the traffic was flowing very well, with the first delays showing after Bamber Bridge (as always happens on summer weekends!).

Upset76 · 4 Aug 2019

Thanks, the 09.20 one departed and arrived on time. I’m not sure about the 10.20. It was probably on time as well to be honest but I just had a much more enjoyable day not clock watching and panicking haha.

30907 · 4 Aug 2019

Upset76 said:
Thanks, the 09.20 one departed and arrived on time. I’m not sure about the 10.20. It was probably on time as well to be honest but I just had a much more enjoyable day not clock watching and panicking haha.

I was just curious, thanks for the update.

Crewe to Edinburgh Waverley : Please help me!

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