Split Ticketing: Rights when delay/cancellation causes you fall foul of a time restriction

[gray1404]

What are your contractual rights when travelling on a split ticket and a delay/cancellation causes you to fall foul of a time restriction when you begin using your next ticket in the split? Are you entitled to continue your journey without further charge and without delaying yourself further?

In my case, I'm splitting tickets at Birmingham New Street and the Super Off Peak return to Liverpool carries some PM time restrictions. If the Cross Country service from Bournemouth is on time then I'll be fine but if its delayed or cancelled I would enter the "barred" time period in the PM if I simply take the next available services.

My preference too is to change at Stafford rather then Birmingham as the former is a quieter station.

 

[Haywain]

There will be varying opinions on this. My view is that this is where you are taking a risk and as the ticket does not prevent travel, in the way an Advance ticket would, so you would have to wait for the next train on which the ticket is valid. You would then have the challenge of claiming delay/repay from CrossCountry.

 

[island]

I agree with Haywain save that to add that asking staff nicely would be likely to yield a concession/endorsement allowing travel.

 

[alistairlees]

If the OP did not have split tickets (i.e. they had a single through ticket), and they were delayed on the first leg of their journey, such that the ticket was no longer valid on the next leg for the next available train, what should happen?

A. Wait for several hours until the next valid train
B. Get on the next (earlier) train for which the ticket would normally not be valid?

The answer to this question is the answer to the split ticket question posed by the OP. Both types of ticket are for a valid journey, and both should be treated in the same way.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

If the OP did not have split tickets (i.e. they had a single through ticket), and they were delayed on the first leg of their journey, such that the ticket was no longer valid on the next leg for the next available train, what should happen?

A. Wait for several hours until the next valid train
B. Get on the next (earlier) train for which the ticket would normally not be valid?

The answer to this question is the answer to the split ticket question posed by the OP. Both types of ticket are for a valid journey, and both should be treated in the same way.

Why 'should' they be treated in the same way?

I'm not trying to argue that I think that they should be treated differently - but there needs to be something behind the 'should'. If what's behind it is the rules (NCoT, contract law, railway law, whatever) then that's fine and the two scenarios must be treated in the same way. But if what's behind 'should' is a judgement that we think the two scenarios are the same, but this is what we think and not what we can evidence, then that's a much less robust position for us to support.

 

[Hadders]

If a split Advance ticket is valid on a later train in the event of a delay (which it undoubtedly is) then it would be perverse to argue that a more flexible walk on ticket is not valid.

 

[Paul Kelly]

If a split Advance ticket is valid on a later train in the event of a delay (which it undoubtedly is) then it would be perverse to argue that a more flexible walk on ticket is not valid.

I agree that would be the usual argument although maybe worth nothing that the DfT have now set a precedent of worse treatment for holders of flexible tickets, by allowing flexible no-fee changes for advances in certain circumstances, without similar flexibility being granted to holders of return portions of walk-on return tickets whose travel plans were similarly disrupted by the new government travel restrictions.

 

[gray1404]

I've had a read through the NRCoT and the applicable sections would be 9.4, 11.2 and 14.1/14.2.

 

[Llandudno]

Personally before boarding the second train, I would either
A) Seek a member of station staff and tell them of your predicament
B) When the second train arrives at the station have a chat to the guard and explain the situation

BUT!
You must be pleasant, polite and smile when speaking to the appropriate staff member.
The vast majority of rail staff are great and I am pretty sure that most will accede to your request!

 

[CyrusWuff]

How much time you'd allowed for your connection may also have a bearing on the response you get. So if, for example, you'd allowed just 20 minutes platform to platform for a Victoria to Kings Cross transfer (normally achievable), rather than the 41 minutes journey planners use, you'd be more likely to be told you'll either need to excess your ticket or wait until it becomes valid again.

In addition, if you are delayed en route, don't increase that delay by spending hours wandering around London. That's guaranteed to result in zero sympathy being shown!