Cancelled Scotrail train, can I use later one to where I'm going but different ultimate destination?

[trainophile]

Have just had an email from Trainsplit (incidentally a very handy service that I don't think other ticket websites offer) informing me that our booked 1356 Scotrail from Aberdeen to Dundee next Weds 25th May is cancelled. It says we don't need to buy new tickets, but should take the next train by the same operator and route. Well there's a 1535 Scotrail that does call at Dundee, but terminates at Glasgow Queen Street, whereas our cancelled train was terminating at Edinburgh. Can we use our (Grant Shapps extremely cheap!) tickets on this one?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, you can.

 

[trainophile]

Yes, you can.

Thank you! Ooh good, an extra couple of hours in Aberdeen without paying what the later tickets would have cost. Result!

 

[Nippy]

And delay repay as well.....

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If the original itinerary (travelling on the 1356 (?) - is this actually cancelled or maybe retimed to 1350) came with reservations (perhaps it was an advance), how can the OP avail themselves of reservations for the later 1535 service, which may now be busier than usual?

P.S. Is the 1535 the next available (Scotrail) service from Aberdeen to Dundee, and does that make any difference if the ticket for the now cancelled train was an advance, or is the OP expected to travel on say the next available departure (at 1442, assuming that's still running)?

 

[trainophile]

Aberdeen to Dundee​ ​

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Departing Wednesday, May 25, 2022. 2 adults. 2 x Senior Railcards.

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➔ Your return journey starts from Aberdeen at 13:56, but please arrive in plenty of time.

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Aberdeen station details. You must bring your 2 x Senior Railcards with you. Failure to do so will mean your tickets are invalid.

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⚠ This service has been cancelled. Please take the next service matching your ticket route and operator restrictions. ​

Schedule History

• Train added to timetable on 25/01/2022
• Schedule was changed on 07/04/2022
• Train was cancelled on 19/05/2022

THIS TRAIN WAS REMOVED FROM THE TIMETABLE (CANCELLED) ON 19/05/2022

	Station​	Arrive​	Depart​	Notes​
	Aberdeen		13:56
	Stonehaven	14:12	14:13
	Montrose	14:32	14:37
	Arbroath	14:51	14:52
	Dundee	15:08	15:10
	Leuchars (For St. Andrews)	15:21	15:22
	Haymarket	16:11	16:12
	Edinburgh	16:18

I don't know now I come to look into it further. It may be retimed to 1350, but the above is from the Trainsplit email. There's also a 1442 appeared now, destination Edinburgh, so I suppose that would be the logical one to get. Not sure why I didn't spot it earlier. Perhaps they are tweaking the timetables, or perhaps I made a mistake. If it is retimed to 1350 do we have to get one six minutes earlier than the one we booked on?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Perhaps they are tweaking the timetables, or perhaps I made a mistake.

Scotrail are, from Monday, having to operate a temporary timetable due to a driver pay dispute.

'Savage’ Scotrail cuts will leave Edinburgh cut off from Fife and Glasgow

Edinburgh will be left cut off from major towns and cities thanks to ScotRail’s “savage” cuts to daily train services, an MSP has said.

www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com

Just to confirm, was your booked journey from Aberdeen to Dundee on Wednesday, and just on advance tickets?

 

[trainophile]

Yes, a Grant Shapps Advance offer.

 

[alistairlees]

Grant Shapps and the DfT had nothing to do with Rail Sale tickets in ScotRail, which was a Transport Scotland matter.

 

[David M]

Yes, a Grant Shapps Advance offer.

It had nothing to do with the Grant Shapps offer. This was a Transport Scotland initiative.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Having established that the OP has advance tickets on Wednesday (on an apparently now cancelled service), which alternative services can be used instead, and also, are new seat reservations required or indeed advisable?

 

[trainophile]

Scotrail trains don't often do seat reservations I think.

My apologies for "blaming" Mr Shapps! Coincidental timing.

 

[hexagon789]

I thought the ScotRail offer was only on off-peak day tickets not advances?

 

[trainophile]

Photo . Sorry about size and orientation.

 

[gnolife]

Photo . Sorry about size and orientation.View attachment 115067

That's just a bog standard advance ticket - nothing to do with the Scotrail sale

 

[Mcr Warrior]

That's just a bog standard advance ticket - nothing to do with the Scotrail sale

This one, presumably...

Look up fares for any train journey in Britain

Full details of all British rail Single, Return & Season tickets and Travelcards. Built-in Season Ticket Calculator.

www.brfares.com

Looks like the very cheapest advance tier for the Aberdeen->Dundee flow.

 

[trainophile]

Oh okay, I couldn't believe how cheap it was so assumed some sort of special offer.

As a point of interest I just randomly checked a Wednesday in July, and found there's a 1350 and a 1356, (cheapest fare £7.50 with railcard), so it looks like my cancelled 1356 hasn't been retimed to 1350 as they are two separate schedules.

This one, presumably...

Look up fares for any train journey in Britain

Full details of all British rail Single, Return & Season tickets and Travelcards. Built-in Season Ticket Calculator.

www.brfares.com

Looks like the very cheapest advance tier for the Aberdeen->Dundee flow.

Funny it says reservations are required, when it didn't give me any. Unless they just mean counted places.

 

[hexagon789]

Photo . Sorry about size and orientation.View attachment 115067

That's just a normal advance.

That's just a bog standard advance ticket - nothing to do with the Scotrail sale

The sale was off-peak tickets only. No advances unlike the sale with English TOCs.

Oh okay, I couldn't believe how cheap it was so assumed some sort of special offer.

As a point of interest I just randomly checked a Wednesday in July, and found there's a 1350 and a 1356, (cheapest fare £7.50 with railcard), so it looks like my cancelled 1356 hasn't been retimed to 1350 as they are two separate schedules.



Funny it says reservations are required, when it didn't give me any. Unless they just mean counted places.

The 1350 runs to Glasgow, the 1356 to Edinburgh. The 1356 is cancelled, the 1350 is not.

Funny it says reservations are required, when it didn't give me any. Unless they just mean counted places.

You could theoretically get them, as ScotRail are offering them again and they are available on both the 1350 and 1356 ordinarily.

 

[Starmill]

Oh okay, I couldn't believe how cheap it was so assumed some sort of special offer.

ScotRail have been selling the £5 Advance tickets since 2014. They account for the inflation over time by adjusting their availability, and the prices of the more expensive tickets, while keeping this one at £5.

If you would like to catch the next ScotRail train from Aberdeen to Dundee you're completely entitled to do so, whenever that happens to be on the day.

 

[trainophile]

It's all becoming clear now. Thanks everyone. Presumably it's okay to use the existing tickets on the 1442 then.

 

[Starmill]

It's all becoming clear now. Thanks everyone. Presumably it's okay to use the existing tickets on the 1442 then.

Yes. You don't need to do anything or ask for permission, you can just travel on the following ScotRail train.

 

[trainophile]

Brilliant. Thanks again.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes. You don't need to do anything or ask for permission, you can just travel on the following ScotRail train.

Related question, can you travel on the one before?

I understand if one's booked train is cancelled/removed from the timetable, you can use any service on the same day that will get you to your destination?

Is my understanding correct?

 

[Starmill]

Related question, can you travel on the one before?

I understand if one's booked train is cancelled/removed from the timetable, you can use any service on the same day that will get you to your destination?

Is my understanding correct?

It's not written down so clearly, however you would be able to reasonably invoke your right of contract to receive the service you paid for, in this case, that is your right to arrive by the time specified when booking. Luckily the policy of most operators is to permit early departure in the case of a cancelled service. I'm aware of one operator who has said that they won't allow this with flexible tickets but will allow it with Advance tickets, which to my mind is crazy, but there you go.

 

[hexagon789]

It's not written down so clearly, however you would be able to reasonably invoke your right of contract to receive the service you paid for, in this case, that is your right to arrive by the time specified when booking. Luckily the policy of most operators is to permit early departure in the case of a cancelled service. I'm aware of one operator who has said that they won't allow this with flexible tickets but will allow it with Advance tickets, which to my mind is crazy, but there you go.

So if I turned up for a ScotRail service that is still running an hour before the one I was booked to travel on, which has been cancelled, I would likely be allowed to travel rather than having to wait for the one an hour later than my originally booked service?

 

[trainophile]

Just looking at the link provided above where the £3.30 fare shows, and noticed it says Restriction Code R6. However when I put that into the NRE restriction code checker it returns 0 results.

I love the railway.

 

[Starmill]

So if I turned up for a ScotRail service that is still running an hour before the one I was booked to travel on, which has been cancelled, I would likely be allowed to travel rather than having to wait for the one an hour later than my originally booked service?

Yes. It is likely that you would be able to travel.

 

[trainophile]

So if I turned up for a ScotRail service that is still running an hour before the one I was booked to travel on, which has been cancelled, I would likely be allowed to travel rather than having to wait for the one an hour later than my originally booked service?

It's certainly okay with TPE, happens a lot.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes. It is likely that you would be able to travel.

It's certainly okay with TPE, happens a lot.

Thanks both.

 

[Bletchleyite]

And delay repay as well.....

I thought not if the cancellation was before 2200 the night before under the new NRCoT?