Split tickets - what normally happens in GWR land during disruption?

[redreni]

Just curious to know what people's experiences are of GWR's approach to accepting tickets on alternative trains during disruption?

I've bought split (super) off-peak day returns through the forum's site for travel on a Saturday:

1. Slade Green to Newbury (with Network Railcard)
2. Newbury to Castle Cary
3. Castle Cary to Taunton.

I've booked these against an itinerary returning on the 18:22 from Taunton, which is the last train and last journey opportunity of the day that calls at both Castle Cary and Newbury.

That particular train has a track record of running, rather than being cancelled or p-coded, which is reassuring, but since it's my only option I'm just curious to know what GWR would normally do in the event of its cancellation? The alternatives include a selection of direct trains to Paddington via Swindon and indirect journeys on CrossCountry to Bristol Parkway then GWR to London, as well as one later train (83 minutes after the train on my booked itinerary) that runs via Castle Cary and Newbury but does not call at Newbury.

Since my tickets are not ordinarily valid on any of these alternative trains, I'm curious whether in the event of the 18:22 being cancelled they would be accepted on an alternative route (e.g. on the 17:46 direct via Swindon or on the 18:53 CrossCountry via Bristol Parkway), or whether GWR would say I have to wait for the 19:45 as that at least passes through my split points, even if it only calls at one of them?

I'm aware of the option of asking to be re-routed under PRO, but I'm more interested in how flexible people have found GWR and CrossCountry guards to be during disruption? I'm thinking the Bristol Parkway route is likely to be more of a problem than the direct via Swindon route? Or maybe both would be a problem?

 

[Snow1964]

I have not needed to go off route so can't comment on policy, but in last couple of months I have been on about dozen GWR journeys (totalling few hundred miles) and not been any on train ticket inspection.

Not good indicator though, but does seem probably got better than even chance of not being checked on train

 

[Haywain]

When I went off-route with split tickets on GWR a few years ago, due to engineering diversions, nobody batted an eyelid.

 

[redreni]

Thanks, so GWR may be fairly relaxed.

What about CrossCountry? I assume they get no ORCATS revenue on any of the tickets I hold so might be more likely to be troubled if they saw these tickets between Taunton and Bristol Parkway?

 

[BazingaTribe]

Can confirm. A couple of times a year the line south between Reading and Basingstoke has been blocked, usually by a broken down freight train, and I go round the route via Guildford and Woking, or even via Farnborough North with a 'walking' interchange between that station and Farnborough Main. (Don't try to walk it, it's a bit far in practice -- get a cab with someone else as the fare is peanuts.)

Nothing untoward ever happened. I don't generally take the Farnborough route because I'm disabled, but I did it once when the Farnborough train was just pulling in to Basingstoke and found people happy to share a taxi no problem.

I also use the 16.52 Cross Country between Reading and Basingstoke regularly as an alternative to waiting for a 17.15 train when I miss the 16.33 (ok, when I used to finish work at 4) and there have been zero problems with my GWR ticket. Obviously if it's the track that is blocked they're screwed as well, but even if they're not getting paid they don't hold it against me.