Dawlish-related ticket issues.

[Starmill]

This is quite a confusing state of affairs, essentially of my own making, but how was I to know nature was going to have its way with the sea wall?

On 20th Jan I booked two Advance singles for travel on Tuseday, one from Newport S Wales to Paignton (Route: Via Bridgewater) and one from Exmouth to London Waterloo (Route: AP SWT & CONNECT). The former has me on the 10:44 from Newport to Bristol and the 1147 FGW service (from Paddington) to Paignton. I had from there planned to buy a single to Exmouth and then I have booked the 1553 from Exmouth to Exeter Central and the 1629 Exeter Central to London Waterloo.

I don't really know what's happening with these trains - I tried FGW webales first and they insisted I'd need to call National Rail Enquiries, or try them again tomorrow and they were unable to check anything on April 1st. I've since tried East Coast Web Support, who were more helpful and confirmed that my Exmouth - Exeter and Exeter - Waterloo trains were planned to be running to schedule, but that meant if I wanted to change anything I could do so online only with payment of the £10 admin fees + difference. I did ask if the fee could be waived because the change was due to the service disruption elsewhere - they said it might be but I'd need to speak to Customer Relations (they then pointlessly transferred me to EC Customer Relations who said that as I was making no part of my journey on East Coast they were unable to do anything at all). I tried SWT who said the same thing: I must travel on my booked train or change the AP as per the Ts and Cs. Finally I called FGW Customer Services who have tried quite hard to understand the problem I think (the adviser I spoke to called me back twice). I explained the above in full and told them the first ticket was booked at the FGW website and the second the EC website. I then tentatively suggested that I no longer require travel to Paignton, I just want to go from Newport to Exmouth (which adds another level of confusion because I planned to actually buy the ticket from Paignton to Exmouth on the day) and then leave Exmouth for Waterloo an hour earlier.

I think that what I am trying to do is reasonable: I'm not attempting to profit from the disruption. I'm effectively asking if I can exchange my right to travel between Exeter and Paignton with some more flexibility on the Exmouth - Waterloo leg. I have been asked to call again around 1130 tomorrow where apparently a manager should be available to deal with my case.

Does the following plan work, adhering to necessary minimum connection times etc:

1044 (booked train) from Newport but continuing to Westbury, then the 1222 from Westbury to Exeter St Davids (arr. 1336) followed by the 1350 to Exmouth and then the 1453 Exmouth - Central and the 1530 Exeter Central - London Waterloo.

I'd say making that journey based on tickets already purchased plus a single from Exeter to Exmouth is a fair compromise, of course FGW may not agree, in which case I will have to pay for more new tickets. I don't really want to wait around in Exeter since the Exmouth branch is now all I can do, so getting the 1530 to Waterloo is highly advantageous. I CAN change that on the EC website at present, its just under £20 including fees - how long will I have that option and what should I do?

EDIT: If I have missed any details let me know I'll try to fill them in. As I said its complicated!

 

[455driver]

I dont know about the Westbury bit but you should be fine on the Exeter to Exmouth train, they all have a Conductor (who will be at the back at Exeter) so, before boarding, show them the tickets, explain the situation about the Paignton bit and they will sort it out, you should need to buy a single ticket from Exeter st Davids to Exmouth but there is a very big chance they will waive it. They are a good bunch at Exeter!

 

[34D]

Just so I understand, this journey is a replacement bus due to the Dawlish issue? Because of this, you have much less time than you planned at Paignton/Exmouth and that area.

Because of that, you wish to revise your plans, including going Exmouth to Waterloo an hour earlier?

I agree that all the above is wholly reasonable: there must be plenty of people who have booked advances with (say) two hours in between them to give ample time for a business meeting, et cetera.

Interested to hear the advice the TOC give you at 11:30. Be polite and assertive (as I'm sure you will be) and hopefully they will be sensible and helpful.

 

[Starmill]

Quick update then, interesting how the problem has apparently been solved. The person I spoke to reviewed the notes on my case (thankfully I was given a reference number) and said that Exmouth station staff had been called and asked to endorse my tickets... but for travel on a later service. I said that what I'd actually asked for was travel on an earlier service, and this had been established quite carefully when I was speaking to her colleague. It sounds a tad hit and miss this actually, but I do have the reference number for the conversations I've had and with a bit of luck recorded calls should be available for review just in case the ticket is not accepted and I have to pay for a new Exeter - London one. I guess that's the best I can hope for, so I'm now off to go and collect the tickets. I'm still left with a pretty unclear idea of weather or not travelling via Westbury is permitted :/ I'm guessing not....

 

[30907]

The real problem that I see is the deviation via Westbury, given that according to the OJP the direct route is in use and there is a reasonable equivalent (XC) service as far as Exeter.

 

[455driver]

If you stick with valid itineraries for going to Paignton (via Bristol to Exeter) and then onto Exmouth you will arrive at Waterloo at 2100, an hour and ten minutes later than your original plan.

Westbury is not a valid route.

 

[Starmill]

Another update to this: I took the Newport - Paignton ticket into Manchester Piccadilly to ask them to 'check what will be running' tomorrow, the man was a little confused that he could not find my Bristol - Paignton train on the seat res as ever having existed, so we concluded it must have been canceled (terminated at Bristol more like!). As such he said the ticket should be valid on the next available service, which he said ought to be the XC service 4 minutes before my booked train and he agreed that I could have a seat reservation for that service, so with that in mind I'm fairly content to use XC Shame no HST down via Weston and over the sea wall though, maybe next time, and at least I still get my time in Exmouth. As long as Exmouth ticket office really do know I'm coming and can endorse my ticket I think fair compromise reached!