Not sure if this is the correct forum so if it needs moving, mods feel free to do so.
Early in the week before Saturday 29th September I enquired on NR Enquiries Website prior to buying tickets for a break in St Ives (Cornwall). I entered the travel details into the Journey Planner as follows:
The outbound path offered and actually chosen was:
On the day, things didn't quite go as stated.
As the Thameslink train drew into Farringdon, the announcement said change here for Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitain line trains (maybe in a different order)
Upon going up the short flight of steps onto the TfL platform it was apparent that the line was closed. We had to dash up to street level to find a cab, (not easy in the city on a Saturday morning). We made the 10:03 at Paddington with about 3 minutes to spare and ended up over £20 lighter. The rest of the journey went as planned.
The questions are:
Early in the week before Saturday 29th September I enquired on NR Enquiries Website prior to buying tickets for a break in St Ives (Cornwall). I entered the travel details into the Journey Planner as follows:
Where from? St Albans City
Where to? St Ives
Leaving 29/09/19 at 09:00
I also entered the return journey details and No. of passengers/railcard info..Where to? St Ives
Leaving 29/09/19 at 09:00
The outbound path offered and actually chosen was:
08:57 St Albans City to Farringdon 09:24
09:27 Farringdon to Paddington 09:46
From Farringdon take the Hammersmith & City Line or the Circle Line (Westbound, Platform 2) both of which are direct services to Paddington Underground Station. Check for Live Travel updates (link to TfL live updates, i.e. when the link is clicked)
10:03 Paddington to St Erth 14:57
15:18 St Erth to St Ives 15:31
So far so good and just what I wanted. For convenience reasons I decided to buy at St Albans City ticket office.09:27 Farringdon to Paddington 09:46
From Farringdon take the Hammersmith & City Line or the Circle Line (Westbound, Platform 2) both of which are direct services to Paddington Underground Station. Check for Live Travel updates (link to TfL live updates, i.e. when the link is clicked)
10:03 Paddington to St Erth 14:57
15:18 St Erth to St Ives 15:31
On the day, things didn't quite go as stated.
As the Thameslink train drew into Farringdon, the announcement said change here for Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitain line trains (maybe in a different order)
Upon going up the short flight of steps onto the TfL platform it was apparent that the line was closed. We had to dash up to street level to find a cab, (not easy in the city on a Saturday morning). We made the 10:03 at Paddington with about 3 minutes to spare and ended up over £20 lighter. The rest of the journey went as planned.
The questions are:
a) If NR and the eventual TOC chosen to buy the tickets from are offering planned journeys using other TOCs or TfL and taking money for them, should they not inform buyers of specific deviations from the planned offer?
b) If on the day, services are not running, should a national rail TOC that has direct interchanges with them not announce them (nothing was put out whist the train was standing in St Pancras)
c) If a train is pulling into an interchange station where there are no other services running (due to an engineering possession) should the on board announcement advertising the non-existent services not be supressed? There were about 10 or more other passengers expecting there to be LU trains.
I wonder what would have happened if I had bought advance tickets and we had missed the GWR train, luckily I chose Super Off Peak returns for about £8 extra.b) If on the day, services are not running, should a national rail TOC that has direct interchanges with them not announce them (nothing was put out whist the train was standing in St Pancras)
c) If a train is pulling into an interchange station where there are no other services running (due to an engineering possession) should the on board announcement advertising the non-existent services not be supressed? There were about 10 or more other passengers expecting there to be LU trains.