Missed connection on advance - change route?

[BlueFox]

I'm on the 1201 from Leicester to Sheffield,which left Leicester 22 minutes late.

I've got an advance ticket to Carlisle, with changes at Sheffield, Leeds, Appleby (bus), and Penrith.

It looks like I'm going to miss my connection at Sheffield which is onto the 1314 Northern service. There's also a Northern service at 1318, and a Crosscountry at 1321,which would get me to Leeds on time.
There is no train after this that would allow me to make the connection at Leeds.

My train is currently expected to get to Sheffield at 1318.
So it looks like the Crosscountry service is my best option,if we can make up a couple of minutes.

Would I need to get permission in advance to travel on this train?


If the delays mean I can't get to Leeds on time, I'll have a wait of over three hours for the next train to Appleby.
If that happens would I be allowed to take a different route?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Would I need to get permission in advance to travel on this train?

Yes, as you have to, per the rules, stay on the booked TOC. With a three minute connection the guard is your best bet.

 

[MikeWh]

My train is currently expected to get to Sheffield at 1318.
So it looks like the Crosscountry service is my best option,if we can make up a couple of minutes.

Would I need to get permission in advance to travel on this train?

Yes. It might be worth asking the TM on your current train if they can approve anything as they are the ones who will cop a full refund in compensation if you are 3 hours late.

If the delays mean I can't get to Leeds on time, I'll have a wait of over three hours for the next train to Appleby.
If that happens would I be allowed to take a different route?

Hopefully, yes, but it'll be down to whoever you ask at Leeds. You don't have a right to change route, especially if it also involves a change of company for part of the route. Get it all agreed before leaving Leeds - ie don't just ask the guard of the first train. Good luck.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hopefully, yes, but it'll be down to whoever you ask at Leeds. You don't have a right to change route, especially if it also involves a change of company for part of the route. Get it all agreed before leaving Leeds - ie don't just ask the guard of the first train. Good luck.

I don't think it is a change of route, just a change of TOC for one leg, in which case Guard's permission would be fine. If it's really important not to be late, an Anytime Single bought from the guard for Sheffield-Leeds may actually be a worthwhile purchase (if he won't accept the ticket, ask for this before boarding), you could then try your luck with getting it back from EMT customer service.

 

[MikeWh]

I don't think it is a change of route, just a change of TOC for one leg, in which case Guard's permission would be fine. If it's really important not to be late, an Anytime Single bought from the guard for Sheffield-Leeds may actually be a worthwhile purchase (if he won't accept the ticket, ask for this before boarding), you could then try your luck with getting it back from EMT customer service.

It must be a change of route as they won't be going via Appleby. My concern is that the guard on leaving Leeds may well be a Northern one, which is the same TOC, but if the VTEC TM then refuses at York, for instance, they would be stuck. Hence to get it all agreed at Leeds first.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Is this all on one ticket? Because the only advances Leicester-Carlisle are either XC and Connections or VTWC and Connections. In which case you'd be fine getting the XC train as it would be the next train of the same TOC.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It must be a change of route as they won't be going via Appleby.

Unless I'm reading it wrongly yes he will, taking the XC to Leeds will allow the connection at Leeds to Appleby to be made.

If he is changing *route* then he has to go to the ticket office to sort that.

 

[MikeWh]

Unless I'm reading it wrongly yes he will, taking the XC to Leeds will allow the connection at Leeds to Appleby to be made.

If he is changing *route* then he has to go to the ticket office to sort that.

My answer was to the part of the OP where they mentioned possibly missing the connection at Leeds.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My answer was to the part of the OP where they mentioned possibly missing the connection at Leeds.

Ah, sorry. Yes, if that is missed it will be necessary to go to the ticket office.

OP, how did it go?

 

[BlueFox]

All sorted (hopefully), thanks for all the comments.

I spoke to the train manager, but by that time it was obvious I'd miss the 1321 xc service to Leeds (we got to Sheffield at 1324), so I faced a delay of over three hours if I'd stuck to the right route.

The train manager advised me to speak to the station supervisor at Sheffield to see if I could get permission to go via Manchester. So I did that, and thanks to the very busy but helpful supervisor, I'm now on an EMT service to Manchester, where I'll change onto a Transpennine service to Carlisle.


My ticket is routed VTWC and connections. The only part of the journey on a Virgin train was going to be the last 15 minutes, between Penrith and Carlisle. But I'm now not going to be using Virgin at all.

 

[Merseysider]

That's great to hear. Staff are often reasonable in such circumstances and if you don't ask you don't get.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've had similar ones - I believe the last one I had was "XC and Connections", whereby the majority of the journey was on LM from Liverpool to New St and the only XC bit was between New St and International.
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That's great to hear. Staff are often reasonable in such circumstances and if you don't ask you don't get.

Indeed.