Northern Disruption 10th November

[premier01]

So just boarded train to Poulton-le-fylde to discover last train back to Preston is around 18.40 due to industrial action.

Are Northern supposed to provide bus replacements or am I stuck with early train home or paying myself for alternative way home?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The latter.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Why would they provide bus replacements when they are running the advertised service? How can you not know there is an RMT strike when there has been one every Saturday for months?

 

[premier01]

Erm maybe because I've not used Northern Rail on Saturday for about 5 months now

 

[yorkie]

So just boarded train to Poulton-le-fylde to discover last train back to Preston is around 18.40 due to industrial action.

Are Northern supposed to provide bus replacements or am I stuck with early train home or paying myself for alternative way home?

What ticket(s) do you have and when did you buy the tickets and what itinerary was provided?

The contractual terms are set at the time you purchase the ticket, so if you bought it at a time when the last train was advertised as running at 18:40 then that is the contractual position.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I once was unaware of a strike, purchased a ticket at a TVM, and got stuck partway. Although I had completed most of the journey, and (naturally) completed most of the journey back, they refunded the ticket, as there was no way for me to have known.

They retailed the ticket without any notice the journey could not be undertaken. Incidentally, you can still do it today...and every Saturday. If they don't bother telling their passengers, then they deserve to be made to pay

 

[Bertie the bus]

I don’t know what you expect them to do. They’ve been on the news, Northern have posters up and information on their stations' PIS, there are regular auto-announcements throughout the week, and you can’t miss it on their website. Short of posting flyers to everybody there isn’t much more they can do to inform people.

 

[Mag_seven]

They’ve been on the news

Is it really news anymore?

 

[JBuchananGB]

Planning ahead is possible
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/alternative-options-for-10-november.173154/

 

[sonic2009]

Only way to get back would be via Blackpool and then the bus.

 

[Starmill]

Why would they provide bus replacements when they are running the advertised service?

The normal Saturday service was advertised until a matter of days ago. It does not now appear to be running. I am therefore not sure what you mean by this statement?

Anybody booking travel for the next-but-one strike daySatuday 24th November, is currently advised that a full service will run.



As you can see from the above screenshot, there is no indication that an ammended timetable applies or that there will be any changes to late evening services from Poulton-le-Fylde to Preston, with services running right up until the 2309. This is 'the advertised service' - but the question is, will it run?

How can you not know there is an RMT strike when there has been one every Saturday for months?

Again is this not an obvious point? There has been very little media coverage both in the news media and the Railway press of the strikes. Most people don't use the railway. You don't even know where the OP is based? Somebody based in London or Edinburgh likely has absoutely no idea there is disruption.

 

[Starmill]

They retailed the ticket without any notice the journey could not be undertaken.

This is fairly typical practice. The main exceptions is when a local member of staff steps in to warn someone beofore they buy their ticket.

 

[Hadders]

I'm travelling from Stevenage to Patricroft on Saturday November 24th. I have an Advance ticket with Virgin Trains from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly and a normal walk on ticket from Manchester Stations to Patricroft. I purchased the Manchester - Patricroft ticket earlier this week from Northern's website and obtained an itinerary. There is no indication that the service to Patricroft might not operate.

If I'm delayed I expect to be able to claim delay repay...

 

[robbeech]

I'm travelling from Stevenage to Patricroft on Saturday November 24th. I have an Advance ticket with Virgin Trains from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly and a normal walk on ticket from Manchester Stations to Patricroft. I purchased the Manchester - Patricroft ticket earlier this week from Northern's website and obtained an itinerary. There is no indication that the service to Patricroft might not operate.

If I'm delayed I expect to be able to claim delay repay...

You’ll be expected to claim it on your “journey” which will include the EUS to MAN leg. Of course that’ll require a fight.

 

[Deafdoggie]

If I can wander into a station, and buy a ticket for the journey, and not see a poster (because there isn't one) then I don't see that I could be expected to know. They may have posters up at some stations, they may announce and PIS at some stations, but certainly not every station. And certainly not even every station they stop at!

If you know there is normally a regular service you will not necessarily check a journey beforehand. And not all journey planners are good at advising you. Some just default 24 hours later, so it is easy to miss. Others just reject it without explanation thus making you think it is an error, rather than explaining trains are cancelled. As always with the railways, customers are the lowest consideration. Why management are not making sure things are better explained I really don't know.

 

[premier01]

Thanks all... I opted to curtail my trip to Poulton by a few hours as bus via Blackpool or taxi not worth it, so got last train.

I bought ticket from TVM at Preston at about 2pm and first heard was on board announcement-sure when I checked online a week before they were running trains till 23.09.

I think the TVM should have warning on last train times but knowing the complexities of how systems work..or not... realise this isn't going to happen anytime soon.

I have no time for Northern fail and avoid if I can- there are many folk worse off that have to use them regularly and have no choice but to like it or lump it!

Finally, realise that the commuter TOCs round London may have have it worse if looking at cost v service disruption but Northern really are rubbish imho

 

[Starmill]

I think the TVM should have warning on last train times but knowing the complexities of how systems work..or not... realise this isn't going to happen anytime soon.

Indeed. It is a very complex and difficult thing to achieve, such as for example in this case:

I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for them to stick that sign advising if the strike on the ticket machine

I don’t know what you expect them to do. They’ve been on the news, Northern have posters up and information on their stations' PIS, there are regular auto-announcements throughout the week, and you can’t miss it on their website. Short of posting flyers to everybody there isn’t much more they can do to inform people.

This is absolute basic stuff. There is just no excuse for there not being a sign on every ticket machine at a station served by Northern having a notice on it warning of the disruption resulting from the strike.