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Delayed due to incorrect passenger information - who to claim from?

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akm

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Back in 2019, on 27 December. Intending to catch 1Z14, the 1031 Great Western from Fratton FTN to Southampthon Central SOU, due to arrive there at 1108. On that day all TOCs in the area were having various minor to moderate problems, but I had tracked the unit due to form the 1031 on its journey into Portsmouth, so I was confident it would go out again.

Waiting at Fratton. At 1028 the displayed information on the passenger information changed from indicating an on-time arrival for the 1031, to showing it as Cancelled. Knowing that waiting for the next scheduled direct service would result in me missing my appointment, I immediately got on the SWR Waterloo-via-Havant train which was currently at the platform, so as to change at Havant for trains back.

The journey from Havant onwards to SOU was also eventful but I eventually arrived at SOU at 1126, thus 18 down from my intended arrival, thus eligible for Delay Repay.

And the kicker is - the 1031 actually did run as scheduled! Had I looked on opentraintimes maps at 1028, when it was shown as cancelled, I would have seen 1Z14 proceeding on its happy way, somewhere around the Portsmouth and Southsea area.

The question is, who to claim from? GWR whose train did actually run, despite (their?) claims to the contrary at the time? Or SWR, who run Fratton and therefore the information system in question?
 
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SteveM70

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At face value I’d say GWR, because it was their bogus information which caused you to amend your plans.
 

plugwash

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As I understand it, while local overrides are sometimes possible, passenger information systems are mostly driven by central computers, if the information boards said the train was cancelled it was likely caused by incorrect/incomplete information in those central computers. Not by anything the local operators of the station did.

Plus delay repay is clearly intended to be paid by train operators, not station operators.
 

Starmill

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I would make a claim from the company you were to originally travel with. I would avoid confusing matters by contacting the company who operates either the station or your alternative train services.

There was a recent case here where someone did just that in a similar situation and found it an uphill struggle, over what sounds to me like a remarkably long period of time, to claim their compensation.
 
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DanNCL

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I had a similar problem at Carlisle back in 2017. My journey was from Newcastle to Ravenglass (changing at Carlisle), and the screens at Carlisle showed my train onwards to Ravenglass as cancelled. The station staff directed everyone for that service outside of the station to catch a non existent replacement bus - after 45 minutes of looking for said non existent replacement bus (during which time the train I intended to catch left Carlisle station without me knowing) I gave up and instead abandoned my journey and went back to Newcastle, and it was only after getting back to Newcastle that I found out my intended train from Carlisle had ran after all. I contacted Northern, who passed the buck to Virgin claiming Virgin were responsible as it was their screens showing the service as cancelled and their station staff that sent me out looking for a non existent replacement bus. Virgin passed the buck back to Northern and the process of the two operators passing the buck between each other carried on for nearly a year before I eventually gave up trying to get any money back.

Based on that I wouldn't hold out much hope that you'll get a penny back I'm afraid, at least not without a lot of arguing with the operators in question.
 

Starmill

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process of the two operators passing the buck between each other carried on for nearly a year before I eventually gave up trying to get any money back.
Indeed - how convenient for the companies who owe consumers money when that happens, eh?
 

Belperpete

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Was the PIS wrong? is it possible that the GWR train ran ECS, e.g. due to lack of a guard, or ran fast to make up time? This might explain why the PIS showed it as cancelled.

You need to treat this as though you were an "ordinary" passenger, without the benefit of OTT and the like. Your GWR train was cancelled, and so you caught an alternative service - full stop. So you claim from GWR.

If you make an on-line claim based on your train being cancelled, then it might be rejected if the record shows it ran. So it might be better to make a manual claim, so you can explain that it was shown as cancelled by the platform indicators.
 
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I believe Fratton to Southampton via Havant is not a permitted route so you would have needed an additional ticket, the cost of which may exceed your delay repay claim. Be careful what you wish for. Or were you given permission to do this, as I have done in the reverse direction occasionally?
 

Starmill

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I'd have taken both of them to MCOL and let the judge decide.
It doesn't seem unreasonable.

Perhaps a short explainer for what MCOL means and does would be beneficial for anyone reading who hasn't come across it?
 

akm

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I believe Fratton to Southampton via Havant is not a permitted route so you would have needed an additional ticket, the cost of which may exceed your delay repay claim. Be careful what you wish for. Or were you given permission to do this, as I have done in the reverse direction occasionally?

That's... a good point, actually.
 

island

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I haven’t checked but it might be within three miles of the shortest route?
 

island

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To answer my own question, the Shortest route (via Cosham/Bitterne) is 24 miles, the route taken via Havant is 30.5, so no.
 
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