Active dispute with cross country....... disruption and first class advance

[Scousemouse]

Planned journey:

Wigan 1629 - Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton 1817 - Bristol Temple Meads


I do this journey a lot due to visiting family. Buy a first class advance ticket from Wolverhampton to Bristol and normally a priv single from wigan to Wolverhampton.

Today there is disruption on the west coast. 1629 arrived a five car voyager and was full on standing on departure.

I had a choice..... stay at wigan on a cold, wet and windy platform and await the 1729 which may or may not arrive and may or may not have room

Or get the train over to Manchester and get the 1805 which is the next train from Wolverhampton at 1917.

I bought a first class ticket from Manchester to Wolverhampton - I was not expecting to get that for nothing.

However the guard is swearing blue murder that my advance from Wolverhampton is not valid on the 1917 because there is no "agreement in place" for the disruption.

I cannot make him understand that the 1917 is my next available train because my journey was disrupted and my ticket is therefore valid. I could understand if I was asking to be carried free of charge!

Please tell me I'm not losing my marbles - or can I only use my advance if I'm willing to freeze to death in the process.

 

[Haywain]

So what train is your Advance ticket booked for? You seem to be glossing over that.

 

[Scousemouse]

I stated it in the first paragraph......

Wigan 1629 - Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton 1817 - Bristol Temple Meads


I do this journey a lot due to visiting family. Buy a first class advance ticket from Wolverhampton to Bristol and normally a priv single from wigan to Wolverhampton.

So 1817 and I will be on the 1917

 

[Haywain]

I stated it in the first paragraph......

Fair enough.

 

[Scousemouse]

Just spoke to the TM after staff change - confirmed with me I am absolutely correct in what I thought.

Previous TM was apparently new.

Retraining in order - even when I pointed out the relevant section from the conditions of carriage he was adamant that only applied to seat reservations and advance tickets could only be used on a different service if there was an agreement.

 

[scrapy]

So you've bought a priv single (which would be an Anytime or off peak) from Wigan to Wolverhampton and an advance from Wolverhampton to Bristol TM. You are perfectly entitled to use more than one ticket and you have allowed more than the minimum connection time at Wolverhampton.

If you held an advance ticket for your full journey, or a seperate advance for both legs, then an advance is valid on the next train by the booked operator unless acceptance is agreed so in that case I would say you should have used the Virgin service.

As the priv single is valid via Manchester you are perfectly entitled to use this and get the next available Crosscountry (irrespective of the fact that you bought an additional ticket for first class).

 

[221129]

So there was no delay or cancellation. Was the 1629 physically unboardable or were you advised not to board?

If not then the TM was absolutely correct as you chose to divert yourself and miss your booked train.

 

[Scousemouse]

It was physically, for me, unboardable

I might have been able to wedge myself in somewhere - maybe, possibly.

However, I was in no way going to try