gray1404
Established Member
So I am travelling from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street with a London Midland Advance ticket.
The train from Euston arrived into Stafford a couple of minutes early at about xx:33 rather then xx:35. My booked connection from Stafford to Liverpool was then at xx:10. However, this had been cancelled. There was a service however due to depart at xx:35 which was running a minute late so I ran to platform 5 and it was just pulling in. This would have been the service before my booked train and would not be a valid connection was there is not a 5 minute minute connection. Under normal circumstances (i.e. if the xx:10 had been running I know I would have to wait for this if on an Advance ticket).
As my service as xx:10 had been cancelled I boarded this train that was just pulling on also operated by LM. My logic was simple: My booked connection has been cancelled so, having got off my prior connecting service having already begun my journey, I am merely travelling on the next available service whilst still keeping to the LM Only route/TOC restriction on my ticket.
When my ticket was checked before arrival at Crewe I explained that that xx:10 had been cancelled. The guard took issue with this saying that I needed to travel on the next service AFTER my booked service and I was not allowed to travel early. I explained that as the xx:10 had been cancelled and I had ALREADY BEGUN my journey I was merely travelling on the next available LM service. The guard stood their ground however. I repeated my circumstances and they would not have it.
I was then asked to pay the fare from Stafford to Liverpool. I said that I was not liable to pay this as I had a valid ticket. When I said that if I was forced to leave the train at Crewe and wait for the next LM service I would also have to submit a delay repay claim and I would have to detail the full circumstances about why I was delayed and how it could have been avoided; that I was then "let off." I have to say the "stand your ground and
not actually listen to the relevant information the customer is providing approach" was most unhelpful.
There was a crew change at Crewe anyway. The next guard who got on I had come across before and he is really approachable and friendly. I asked for his take on the situation and he said: "Your train was cancelled. That's not your fault mate so you just get on the next train and that's that. They have to accept your ticket."
Was I in the right doing what I did? I do not see why I needed to delay myself given I had already begun my journey.
The train from Euston arrived into Stafford a couple of minutes early at about xx:33 rather then xx:35. My booked connection from Stafford to Liverpool was then at xx:10. However, this had been cancelled. There was a service however due to depart at xx:35 which was running a minute late so I ran to platform 5 and it was just pulling in. This would have been the service before my booked train and would not be a valid connection was there is not a 5 minute minute connection. Under normal circumstances (i.e. if the xx:10 had been running I know I would have to wait for this if on an Advance ticket).
As my service as xx:10 had been cancelled I boarded this train that was just pulling on also operated by LM. My logic was simple: My booked connection has been cancelled so, having got off my prior connecting service having already begun my journey, I am merely travelling on the next available service whilst still keeping to the LM Only route/TOC restriction on my ticket.
When my ticket was checked before arrival at Crewe I explained that that xx:10 had been cancelled. The guard took issue with this saying that I needed to travel on the next service AFTER my booked service and I was not allowed to travel early. I explained that as the xx:10 had been cancelled and I had ALREADY BEGUN my journey I was merely travelling on the next available LM service. The guard stood their ground however. I repeated my circumstances and they would not have it.
I was then asked to pay the fare from Stafford to Liverpool. I said that I was not liable to pay this as I had a valid ticket. When I said that if I was forced to leave the train at Crewe and wait for the next LM service I would also have to submit a delay repay claim and I would have to detail the full circumstances about why I was delayed and how it could have been avoided; that I was then "let off." I have to say the "stand your ground and
not actually listen to the relevant information the customer is providing approach" was most unhelpful.
There was a crew change at Crewe anyway. The next guard who got on I had come across before and he is really approachable and friendly. I asked for his take on the situation and he said: "Your train was cancelled. That's not your fault mate so you just get on the next train and that's that. They have to accept your ticket."
Was I in the right doing what I did? I do not see why I needed to delay myself given I had already begun my journey.
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