Delays, cancellations & delay repay

[158801]

The railway industry doesn't seem to make it clear with regards to what you should do if your train is delayed or cancelled (in relation to advance tickets)
Also, what checks can be done by the people administering Delay Repay to see if any false claims are being made?
Let me give some examples :-

I hold an Advance from Leeds to Manchester on the 1107 TPE service. This train is 20 minutes late. Am I allowed on the 1115? If I do catch the 1115 hours will the people who administer delay repay know? I could still claim for the 20 minutes delay to the 1107 even though I'm only 8 minutes late

I book a split save advance ticket from York to Manchester (TPE) on the 1520 and then on the 1702 (Northern) from Manchester to Liverpool. The TPE service runs 25 minutes late and means I miss the 1702 from Manchester.
The next Northern service (from Victoria) is at 1827 but TPE run a train at 1722.
It would be in TPE's interests to let me travel on their train - even though I hold a Northern Only advance ticket. The overall delay to my journey then is only 3 minutes but I could still (wrongly) claim delay repay by claiming I waited for the 1827 and got delayed by almost 90 minutes.

Finally I hold an Advance for the 1105 from Manchester piccadilly to Euston. Its delayed by 30 minutes so I jump on the 1125. I'm only 20 minutes late but decide to claim for the 30 minute delay.
So, how can the people who pay out delay repay claims ever know what exactly the passenger has done.

Should people be made to wait for their delayed trains to stop false claims of Delay Repay even though in some reflects its bad customer service?

 

[alistairlees]

If the ticket you hold is a barcode ticket, or a smartcard ticket, and it is scanned / tapped then there will be a very good record of what you have done. With magnetic stripe tickets that doesn't exist at all.

 

[Watershed]

If the ticket you hold is a barcode ticket, or a smartcard ticket, and it is scanned / tapped then there will be a very good record of what you have done. With magnetic stripe tickets that doesn't exist at all.

Which is one of the main reasons why the industry is so keen to push e-tickets (and other 'smart' forms of ticketing). Makes everything nice and traceable.

 

[alistairlees]

eTickets were introduced to meet customer expectations for more modern ticketing (driven by their experiences with airlines) that they were more in control of, and to reduce costs. They can also be more easily refunded / cancelled (nothing has to be handed back; the barcode can be cancelled) and Delay Repay compensation can be more easily managed. And, yes, you get a better idea of actual usage.

 

[HST274]

I have experienced something like this in the past. I was travelling to Worcester stations, but got delayed by a cancellation of a train going to Shrub Hill. I instead travelled to Foregate and was delayed by something like 28 mins, applied for 30+ (because I mistakenly looked at the departure times) but was given 100% compensation for 60 mins +. I can only assume they immediately thought I was getting the next to train to shrub hill over an hour later, rather than the next fastest to Worcester- something they should probably sort out for their benefit.

Finally I hold an Advance for the 1105 from Manchester piccadilly to Euston. Its delayed by 30 minutes so I jump on the 1125. I'm only 20 minutes late but decide to claim for the 30 minute delay.

In this case rather than me pretending I caught the next Shrub Hill train, the system assumed I did. Even if you applied for 15+ the system therefore might still give you 50% compensation as they just assume you caught the booked train.

 

[30907]

The railway industry doesn't seem to make it clear with regards to what you should do if your train is delayed or cancelled (in relation to advance tickets)

You are permitted to travel by the next available train, same route andd operator. Anything else is at the discretion of onboard staff - ask first.

 

[Super Hans]

Don't forget DR is paid based on delayed arrival not departure, so if the 1107 departed 20 minutes late and the 1115 was the next available service, and your ticket was valid for it (I.E open ticket or advance with same TOC) then you would be expected to board the 1115 as it was the next available service. By waiting for your 1107 you'd be prolonging your own delay, which is why it's paid out based on the next available service.

So if your 1107 was scheduled to arrive at destination at 12, and it was delayed so you took the 11:15 which arrived at your destination at 12:15, you'd be eligible for 15 minutes delay.

But yes make sure you're not confusing delayed departure by delayed arrival. You could have a ticket for a service that departed 60 minutes late, you're sat on the train for an hour not moving, that's doing going to feel like a delay, meanwhile by the time you get to your destination it's made up time enroute and you arrive 14 minutes late, you're entitled to nothing.

 

[Haywain]

You are permitted to travel by the next available train, same route andd operator. Anything else is at the discretion of onboard staff - ask first.

Or by specific agreement between the operators - generally referred to as ticket acceptance.

 

[MikeWh]

Don't forget DR is paid based on delayed arrival not departure, so if the 1107 departed 20 minutes late and the 1115 was the next available service, and your ticket was valid for it (I.E open ticket or advance with same TOC) then you would be expected to board the 1115 as it was the next available service. By waiting for your 1107 you'd be prolonging your own delay, which is why it's paid out based on the next available service.

I'm sure in the past that I was told no, you can't take a different train if your train is just slightly delayed and you have an advance for it.

 

[trainophile]

Can I use this thread to ask a similar question? My OH and his walking friends are returning from Lerwick today, all went well until the Avanti from Edinburgh to Crewe became delayed, only a few minutes but it caused them to miss their connection to Hereford at Crewe, and they've had to take the next service and will arrive back just about an hour late. Their tickets are Advances Aberdeen to Crewe and Advances Crewe to Hereford. They did leave the minimum connection time (10 minutes - they should have had 12) and were racing over the bridge and down the stairs when the TfW left. The platform staff had seen them (and several others off the same Avanti) but blew the whistle anyway, rather than wait 30 seconds - but that's for another discussion).

The thing is, Avanti can claim that their service was only nine minutes late, but due to the missed connection they will complete their journey an hour late. Is it worth trying a claim? These delay repay online forms don't give you the option to clarify the full situation.

 

[Watershed]

Can I use this thread to ask a similar question? My OH and his walking friends are returning from Lerwick today, all went well until the Avanti from Edinburgh to Crewe became delayed, only a few minutes but it caused them to miss their connection to Hereford at Crewe, and they've had to take the next service and will arrive back just about an hour late. Their tickets are Advances Aberdeen to Crewe and Advances Crewe to Hereford. They did leave the minimum connection time (10 minutes - they should have had 12) and were racing over the bridge and down the stairs when the TfW left. The platform staff had seen them (and several others off the same Avanti) but blew the whistle anyway, rather than wait 30 seconds - but that's for another discussion).

The thing is, Avanti can claim that their service was only nine minutes late, but due to the missed connection they will complete their journey an hour late. Is it worth trying a claim? These delay repay online forms don't give you the option to clarify the full situation.

As long as you leave the minimum connection time (which you say they did), you can split as many times as you want and it'll still count as one journey. Hence the entitlement to Delay Repay is unaffected.

Might be easiest to write to Customer Services rather than using the claim form.

 

[Haywain]

Can I use this thread to ask a similar question? My OH and his walking friends are returning from Lerwick today, all went well until the Avanti from Edinburgh to Crewe became delayed, only a few minutes but it caused them to miss their connection to Hereford at Crewe, and they've had to take the next service and will arrive back just about an hour late. Their tickets are Advances Aberdeen to Crewe and Advances Crewe to Hereford. They did leave the minimum connection time (10 minutes - they should have had 12) and were racing over the bridge and down the stairs when the TfW left. The platform staff had seen them (and several others off the same Avanti) but blew the whistle anyway, rather than wait 30 seconds - but that's for another discussion).

The thing is, Avanti can claim that their service was only nine minutes late, but due to the missed connection they will complete their journey an hour late. Is it worth trying a claim? These delay repay online forms don't give you the option to clarify the full situation.

The number of minutes late isn’t relevant. It was late and the connection was missed. Therefore there is a valid claim.

 

[trainophile]

Thanks both. I'll get onto it in the morning. Too travel-weary now (we've both been off in opposite directions, I left Paignton at 0713 this morning).

 

[Dave S 56F]

A incident I had today 27.07 .21 at Halifax a Leeds Blackpool north I was waiting for at 06:27am arrived at 07:12m when wanting to travel to Preston on a standard day return I arrived at Preston at nearly after 08:40 approx it terminated at preston due to been severely delayed and i decided beforehand to get a delay repay from whilst in Halifax, but I looked on northern already departed trains on their website but the 06:27 halifax Blackpool service wasent showing on their online trains already departed boards but the 07:27 halifax dep was why is this and do I need proof the 06:27am terminated at preston for delay repay anyone?

 

[roversfan2001]

A incident I had today 27.07 .21 at Halifax a Leeds Blackpool north I was waiting for at 06:27am arrived at 07:12m when wanting to travel to Preston on a standard day return I arrived at Preston at nearly after 08:40 approx it terminated at preston due to been severely delayed and i decided beforehand to get a delay repay from whilst in Halifax, but I looked on northern already departed trains on their website but the 06:27 halifax Blackpool service wasent showing on their online trains already departed boards but the 07:27 halifax dep was why is this and do I need proof the 06:27am terminated at preston for delay repay anyone?

Delay Repay is intended to be claimed after the journey has finished, even if you know you're going to be sufficiently delayed before that point. If you were only going as far as Preston, the fact the train terminated short at Preston isn't particularly relevant. If you go on the Northern Delay Repay form and put in the details of your journey now then that service should be there.