Northern Rail delay repay on Rover Tickets

[185143]

In October I travelled on a seven day North West Rover. I arrived at Kents Bank (KBK) on 25th October to travel on the 12:41 to Lancaster, which was cancelled due to a shortage of traincrew, which on a line with the infrequency of service that the Cumbrian Coast has, isn't a valid excuse.

I had to wait until the 14:04 TP service to Lancaster, causing me to arrive at Lancaster nearly 90 minutes late. As I was delayed over an hour, I complained to Northern.

Today I finally received a response. No compensation was enclosed as 'The National Rail Conditions of Carriage (NRCOC) only applies to standard daily and weekly tickets, and therefore the entitlement within it to compensation doesn't apply to rover tickets.'

This is despite another TOC compensating me previously with 1/7 of the cost and telling me that a rover is treated as a season ticket!

Any advice on how to proceed with this case? Given the length of delay, both to the journey and the response from Customer Relations, I am certainly not letting this go as I am certain I am due compensation on the grounds I have had compensation on rovers several times before, from several different TOCs.

 

[yorkie]

The NRCoC does apply to Rovers/Rangers.

When you buy a ticket to travel on scheduled services on the National Rail Network you
make an agreement with the Train Companies whose trains the ticket allows you to use.
This introduction summarises the key rights and obligations within that agreement....

Refer the matter to Passenger Focus.

 

[185143]

Have done. I thought I'd seen something on here with TPE refusing to pay up for someone with a rover, they referred it to Passenger Focus and they paid up but I wanted to make sure!

 

[DelayRepay]

This is probably the thread you were looking for. But I don't think it helps too much.

Good luck with the claim.

 

[185143]

This is probably the thread you were looking for. But I don't think it helps too much.

Good luck with the claim.

It would have been my own thread lol! It should be good to see what Passenger Focus manage to do though. I'm only expecting Northern's usual Complimentary Rail Travel Vouchers but that floats my boat!

 

[DelayRepay]

It would have been my own thread lol! It should be good to see what Passenger Focus manage to do though. I'm only expecting Northern's usual Complimentary Rail Travel Vouchers but that floats my boat!

Sorry, I didn't realise it was your thread!

 

[TEW]

I've had and issue with TPE in the past claiming that you can't claim compensation for delays when using a Rover ticket. It took an awful long time but they did eventually compensate me (far above to value I was actually entitled to) after I forwarded the matter to Passenger Focus.

 

[45107]

In October I travelled on a seven day North West Rover. I arrived at Kents Bank (KBK) on 25th October to travel on the 12:41 to Lancaster, which was cancelled due to a shortage of traincrew, which on a line with the infrequency of service that the Cumbrian Coast has, isn't a valid excuse.

Yes, you are correct. It is not an excuse. It is a reason for the cancellation.

 

[Starmill]

TPE recently sent me a letter in somewhat broken English saying that my Day Ranger was already highly discounted and therefore I wasn't eligible for compensation. However, they then offered 100% of the value of the rover - much, much more than I would have been entitled to for the journey in question and delay of 30-59 mins. Thoroughly bizarre.

 

[185143]

TPE recently sent me a letter in somewhat broken English saying that my Day Ranger was already highly discounted and therefore I wasn't eligible for compensation. However, they then offered 100% of the value of the rover - much, much more than I would have been entitled to for the journey in question and delay of 30-59 mins. Thoroughly bizarre.

Virgin have given me a full refund on a rover for 1 cancelation twice now!

 

[Tetchytyke]

I've had compensation from Northern before with rail rovers. It was an RTV too, not one of their free day trip tickets.

Northern making it up as they go along? Surely not.

 

[185143]

I've had compensation from Northern before with rail rovers. It was an RTV too, not one of their free day trip tickets.

Northern making it up as they go along? Surely not.

I'd rather have a free day trip than an RTV worth 3 or pounds! Presumably you don't get a choice in the matter?

 

[northwichcat]

I'd rather have a free day trip than an RTV worth 3 or pounds! Presumably you don't get a choice in the matter?

If you're entitled to compensation e.g. delay over 60 minutes then you should get a RTV. If you get sent a free day ticket but want a RTV you can get it swapped.

The free day tickets can be given out in instances which wouldn't usually warrant compensation e.g. a train being cancelled 3 days in a row with the next one 30 minutes later.

 

[TEW]

TPE recently sent me a letter in somewhat broken English saying that my Day Ranger was already highly discounted and therefore I wasn't eligible for compensation. However, they then offered 100% of the value of the rover - much, much more than I would have been entitled to for the journey in question and delay of 30-59 mins. Thoroughly bizarre.

Interesting. That was one of the reasons TPE gave me for not paying compensation to Rover ticket holders. Once Passenger Focus got involved though they assured me that their policy had changed and they would pay compensation in the future.

 

[mikeg]

I've had TPE give me compensation as a 'gesture of goodwill' on a North Country 4 in 8 day Rover before, but deny that it is normally given, again the reason was it was a 'heavily discounted' ticket. Funny, so are advances and they give compensation on them no questions asked!

However I recently did a 7 day North East rover and was delayed between Durham and Thirsk, owing to the Durham train being delayed due to signalling problems and arriving into Northallerton after the train that stops at Thirsk (ex-MBR) left. On this occasion the day's value was refunded due to the deadly being in excess of an hour in full, in voucher form no questions asked an no mention made of the ticket type. I assumed therefore things had changed but judging by other forum members' experiences obviously not.

 

[Mag_seven]

How do you prove you were on a delayed/cancelled train with a Rover and what evidence will a TOC accept? What is to stop someone who has a delay free few days on a Rover claiming compensation by looking at what trains were delayed/cancelled on sites such as RTT and falsely claiming they were on these services?

 

[bb21]

How do you prove you were on a delayed/cancelled train with a Rover and what evidence will a TOC accept? What is to stop someone who has a delay free few days on a Rover claiming compensation by looking at what trains were delayed/cancelled on sites such as RTT and falsely claiming they were on these services?

You can't, and nothing.

But if you make false claims, sooner or later you will be caught.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

What is to stop someone who has a delay free few days on a Rover claiming compensation by looking at what trains were delayed/cancelled on sites such as RTT and falsely claiming they were on these services?

The penalties of the 2006 Fraud Act might be an adequate deterrent.

But if you make false claims, sooner or later you will be caught.

Indeed, and has been successfully prosecuted.

 

[maniacmartin]

If you happened to be on the one train every day that happened to be delayed with a season ticket, I'm pretty sure the TOC would cotton on