Unfortunately none of the staff there have been given any knowledge in matters they are there to resolve. So, unless they already have the knowledge or have a keen interest in it so learn this sort of stuff themselves they essentially bow down to whatever the operator says on their side of the story and take that as gospel.
For example (real world example)
passenger misses last connection due to only being given 3 minutes to connect (minimum connection time 10 minutes).
passenger requests assistance at fully staffed station. Request is refused as the train arrived before the connecting train departed.
passenger managed to get a bus home costing around £3 but is delayed over an hour.
passenger is eligible for 100% delay repay on their advance ticket. About £40, plus the £3 bus fare.
passenger claims delay repay, immediately rejected as train was only 12 minutes late and connecting train ran to time.
Claim appealed due to missed connection
appeal rejected manually.
dead lock requested, and refused.
40 day time limit reached and letter to ombudsman written.
information given in full to ombudsman to show missed connection, minimum connection time data, bus timetable, bus ticket, all correspondence with TOC.
TOCs side of the story says : we feel 3 minutes is enough time and as such the passenger is not eligible for delay repay.
Ombudsman decision : TOC says they don’t have to pay as they consider 3 minutes enough time. Rejected.
They simply have zero clue most of the time, but then why bite the hand that feeds you?
For reference this was not my journey but the connecting station was Leeds. P3 far end to P17.
There have been positive outcomes too from them but I’d suggest it was more luck than anything.
