SWR timetable change - late trains removed and I can't get home

[Wolfie]

I have recently used Money Claim Online.

You do have to stump up the £35 fee to file the claim, but that gets automatically added to the value of the claim itself. So in the example you give the total being claimed through the courts process would be £60. If you have a valid claim and the defendant wants to settle, it would have to be for that amount.

I would highly recommend Money Claim Online. Having been flatly ignored by taking the customer complaint route, it got me the desired result in a dispute with a hotel. My claim was for £63. Hotel had to pay £98 to settle, which they did immediately and with a fulsome apology to boot. All I had to do then was mark the claim as settled on the website.

The only limitation of MCOL is a character cap on the case info. For complex cases claiming on paper forms works better.

 

[Jason12]

The only limitation of MCOL is a character cap on the case info. For complex cases claiming on paper forms works better.

That isn't the only limitation. Money Claim Online can only be used to claim a fixed money amount, and that amount is limited to less than £100k. You can't use MCOL to make a claim for accident or injury and your claim can be against a maximum of two defendants (individuals or companies). There are other limitations and requirements, which are described on the website Guide for Claimants.

But that still leaves a large number of run of the mill, small money claims which are easily dealt with through the online process and would otherwise be clogging-up physical courts' time.

 

[Wolfie]

That isn't the only limitation. Money Claim Online can only be used to claim a fixed money amount, and that amount is limited to less than £100k. You can't use MCOL to make a claim for accident or injury and your claim can be against a maximum of two defendants (individuals or companies). There are other limitations and requirements, which are described on the website Guide for Claimants.

But that still leaves a large number of run of the mill, small money claims which are easily dealt with through the online process and would otherwise be clogging-up physical courts' time.

True enough. It is important to stock to the County Court limits (£10k) as very different rules apply above that.

 

[miklcct]

Does anyone know which retailers do the best to notify customers about service cancellations?

I have just caught out by a short notice timetable chance again here, having bought the lowest-tier advances worth £5.40 with 26-30 railcard between Bournemouth and Southampton on the 17:59 Bournemouth - 18:28 Southampton Central and 20:51 Southampton Central - 21:23 Bournemouth, which both no longer exist with the closest replacement to the now-cancelled 17:59 being a slow train departing 17:58 arriving 18:47, which will definitely too late for my race.

I have discovered it in time before the race registration closes to change my start time, refund my train ticket and buy an earlier one departing 17:22 arriving 17:58, returning 20:46 arriving 21:15, but the ticket price now is £7.90 in total.

My retailer here is GWR and I haven't received anything after my train has been removed from the timetable on 4/2. Does anyone know if any retailers actually email passengers about train cancellations on the day the train is removed from the timetable, such that the passengers can have enough time to rearrange the itinerary?

 

[yorkie]

There is no need to buy replacement tickets; provided the train company you travel on is the same as valid on the original ticket, you may use the train before, or after, your original booked departure time.

Trainsplit would alert you, I believe.

 

[Fiyero]

There is no need to buy replacement tickets; provided the train company you travel on is the same as valid on the original ticket, you may use the train before, or after, your original booked departure time.

Trainsplit would alert you, I believe.

Trainpal didn’t email me but in the app it did say it was cancelled and i could claim a refund if unused (as we know from these pages of discussions they wouldn’t have helped).
Trainsplit did notify me when SWR ran a reduced service on part of my itinerary in November so seems a good shout.

 

[miklcct]

There is no need to buy replacement tickets; provided the train company you travel on is the same as valid on the original ticket, you may use the train before, or after, your original booked departure time.

Trainsplit would alert you, I believe.

I'm using a train at a completely different timing (37 minutes earlier) for my outward journey, and for the return journey, a different train company as well, so my original tickets won't be valid.

The only undisputable right for me to travel on my original 17:59 ticket is the 17:58 slow (the train preceding it) or the 18:22 fast service after that, and for my original 20:51 ticket, the 20:55 slow service afterwards as the preceding (20:46) fast service is by a different train company.

 

[yorkie]

I'm using a train at a completely different timing (37 minutes earlier) for my outward journey, and for the return journey, a different train company as well, so my original tickets won't be valid.

The only undisputable right for me to travel on my original 17:59 ticket is the 17:58 slow (the train preceding it) or the 18:22 fast service after that,

You can also take whichever train gets you to the destination without delay.

and for my original 20:51 ticket, the 20:55 slow service afterwards as the preceding (20:46) fast service is by a different train company.

Yes if you wish to take a different company, a refund and new ticket is safest.

 

[73128]

We haven't heard yet how the 1 February show went and what trains (taxis etc.) were used to get home.

Nor how the journey from Exeter to London went and by which train...

Does anyone know which retailers do the best to notify customers about service cancellations?

I have just caught out by a short notice timetable chance again here, having bought the lowest-tier advances worth £5.40 with 26-30 railcard between Bournemouth and Southampton on the 17:59 Bournemouth - 18:28 Southampton Central and 20:51 Southampton Central - 21:23 Bournemouth, which both no longer exist with the closest replacement to the now-cancelled 17:59 being a slow train departing 17:58 arriving 18:47, which will definitely too late for my race.

I have discovered it in time before the race registration closes to change my start time, refund my train ticket and buy an earlier one departing 17:22 arriving 17:58, returning 20:46 arriving 21:15, but the ticket price now is £7.90 in total.

My retailer here is GWR and I haven't received anything after my train has been removed from the timetable on 4/2. Does anyone know if any retailers actually email passengers about train cancellations on the day the train is removed from the timetable, such that the passengers can have enough time to rearrange the itinerary?

Isn't this a case of being easier to simply buy an open OPDR ticket (£9.20 with RC so not that much more) and being free to travel on whatever trains - of any operator - suit on the day (and are running!)?

 

[Fiyero]

We haven't heard yet how the 1 February show went and what trains (taxis etc.) were used to get home.

The show was amazing. A great audience who were really up for it. Room to grow for the new cast members but I loved Lucie, Sophie and Gary in their parts. Back to see the show in March (though staying up after that one!)

I got the train to Basingstoke and my friend picked me up. He was great and if he hadn’t offered I think I’d have had to abandon the trip as I don’t think SWR would have covered a taxi!

Not sure if I have any claim. Don’t think delay repay kicks in as the journey was abandoned mid way. If it wasn’t such a cheap advance I’d push for the last 1/4 to be refunded or something!