Disruption claim, what can I expect?

[DeeGee]

Good afternoon, can I please seek the collective wisdom of the forum regarding my journey earlier this week?

15th Sept, I bought a journey, Heathrow to Grimsby via Hayes and Harlington and Sheffield.

Three Tickets: Travel Date Tuesday 7 November 2023
Anytime Return, Heathrow to Hayes and Harlington: £14:40
Advance Single, Standard Class from Hayes and Harlington to Sheffield, specified train and connections only, with a mandatory reservation at 14:32 from St Pancras to Sheffield (arr 16:42): £27.50
Advance Single, Standard class: Sheffield - Grimsby Town, Specified Train only, with a mandatory reservation on the 18:11 from Sheffield to Grimsby Town: £11.10. Intention being to make a substantial break of journey at Sheffield.

Now, in the time between buying these tickets and arriving at Heathrow, some sort of landslip caused routing chaos on the Midland Main Line, so when I got to STP, I found that there was an emergency timetable in place.

Consequently, the trains weren't running as timed on my itinerary, I was advised to take the new train time of 14:45 to Sheffield which was due to arrive at 17:59, giving me a legitimate connection time onto the TPE.

In the interim, after a bit of chatter between TPE and myself (I had mobility issues that particular day, but not a disability, and had deliberately chosen a long layover at SHF) I was unable to seek permission to travel on the later train, as the minimum connection time was met. I therefore booked an Advance Single on the 19:11 SHF to Grimsby Town.

The arrival at Sheffield was 1807, which actually would have been less than the MCT at that station, but the outgoing GMB train was also delayed until 1815, so in reality, I'd have had no problem catching it.

Finally, the newly booked 1911 train departed Sheffield 28 late, and arrived GMB 27 late.

What can I claim for?

Because of the emergency timetable, is delay compensation available for the delayed Hayes - Sheffield leg? I was 1:25 later than scheduled at Sheffield. Can I also claim the return portion of my Heathrow-Hayes ticket in this claim? Or does the existence of an emergency timetable lose the compensation - as the train I got was only 11 late?

Can I also claim for the 1811 SHF-GMB as the MCT was not met, even though it was itself running late? I'm guessing not, as I could reasonably have got that train. Effectively, I chose not to use that ticket. My intention was to break my journey at Sheffield anyway so I don't think I should count it as the same journey. Can I claim for choosing not to travel due to the disruption?

However, I'm guessing I can claim additionally from TPE for the delayed 1911, as that was a separate journey.

Do I send a claim for Heathrow-Sheffield to EMR, and Sheffield to Grimsby to TPE, or will LNER, the retailer, handle it?

 

[Haywain]

When did you travel? It isn't clear from your post, but if it was 15th September you are way too late to claim anything.

Edit: Didn't read the post properly!

 

[DeeGee]

When did you travel? It isn't clear from your post, but if it was 15th September you are way too late to claim anything.

Apologies. Travel date was Tuesday 7th November. I've updated the post to reflect this.

I believe there was some sort of landslip in or around Leicester that took a good while to sort out safely.

I did ask at the ticket office whether I would be able to travel via LNER and Doncaster, as the publicity suggested interavailability, but the chap at the ticket office told me that wouldn't be permitted on an EMR only ticket.

 

[Haywain]

There could be a case here for claiming Delay Repay from EMR for the delay to the Heathrow to Sheffield journey, but I think you will have a problem claiming more than the small amount of DR from TPE for the Sheffield to Grimsby journey. You could write to TPE and ask if they would consider a goodwill gesture in respect of the fact that you purchased a second ticket for that journey. I don't see that you can claim a refund on the first of those tickets as it would have been valid for catching the later train if the connection had been missed.

 

[jfollows]

On your original itinerary, 1B86 18:11 Sheffield to Grimsby (which you could have taken) was 3 minutes late arriving into your booked destination so you have no claim for Delay Repay. If there had been, you would claim from the operating company which delayed you in the first place, the one running the London-Sheffield service.

Whatever you try to claim, the retailer will have nothing to do with it, you claim Delay Repay from the operator responsible for the delay.

 

[DeeGee]

There could be a case here for claiming Delay Repay from EMR for the delay to the Heathrow to Sheffield journey, but I think you will have a problem claiming more than the small amount of DR from TPE for the Sheffield to Grimsby journey. You could write to TPE and ask if they would consider a goodwill gesture in respect of the fact that you purchased a second ticket for that journey. I don't see that you can claim a refund on the first of those tickets as it would have been valid for catching the later train if the connection had been missed.

I've claimed for Hayes-Sheffield (rather than Heathrow) as the system was too clunky to deal with a split ticket and I'm not quibbling over the Heathrow Leg. EMR have approved that straight away.

That was my journey, I did what I needed to get done in Sheffield, so that's the delay I've claimed for. As I see it it was two journeys, just on one booking reference.

I've also claimed for the little bit or DR from TPE for the later train that I did take, and will wait to see what happens there.