"TOC & connections" appropriate trains / delay repay

[YorkC]

A few weeks ago I was travelling using a "[TOC A] & connections" advance, using TOC A for the first part of my journey and TOC B for the second ("& connections") part. TOC A also has trains on the second part of the route.

My journey was disrupted midway and I consequently missed my connection for the TOC B train. I wasn't 100% what the rules were on what trains I could take (did it still have to be TOC B or could I take a TOC A train that arrived earlier?). He said he wasn't sure, asked around, said it was a bit of a grey area but that had to wait for the TOC B train. (As it happened, the next TOC A train was packed so I was happy to take my chances and didn't ask the guard if he'd let me travel). I arrived at my destination an hour late and claimed delay repay on this basis. The claim was paid out only on the basis of a 30+ mins delay as I was told their systems said I should have got a TOC A train. I thought about going back on it explaining my conversations but decided it wasn't worth it for what was a few quid.

Today a similar thing happened again. This time I went to speak to the guard of the TOC A train who told me that even though it was TOC A & connections it was a TOC B only ticket for the second half of my journey. I explained that this had happened to me before and he said that that was wrong but he'd let me travel anyway.

Does anyone know who is correct here? Did the guard do me a favour letting me travel or was I correctly denied delay repay in full first time around?

 

[alistairlees]

A few weeks ago I was travelling using a "[TOC A] & connections" advance, using TOC A for the first part of my journey and TOC B for the second ("& connections") part. TOC A also has trains on the second part of the route.

My journey was disrupted midway and I consequently missed my connection for the TOC B train. I wasn't 100% what the rules were on what trains I could take (did it still have to be TOC B or could I take a TOC A train that arrived earlier?). He said he wasn't sure, asked around, said it was a bit of a grey area but that had to wait for the TOC B train. (As it happened, the next TOC A train was packed so I was happy to take my chances and didn't ask the guard if he'd let me travel). I arrived at my destination an hour late and claimed delay repay on this basis. The claim was paid out only on the basis of a 30+ mins delay as I was told their systems said I should have got a TOC A train. I thought about going back on it explaining my conversations but decided it wasn't worth it for what was a few quid.

Today a similar thing happened again. This time I went to speak to the guard of the TOC A train who told me that even though it was TOC A & connections it was a TOC B only ticket for the second half of my journey. I explained that this had happened to me before and he said that that was wrong but he'd let me travel anyway.

Does anyone know who is correct here? Did the guard do me a favour letting me travel or was I correctly denied delay repay in full first time around?

The bit I have highlighted is absolute rubbish. Any connection is fine. The only requirement is that you travel on TOC A for some (typically, but not always, the main part) of your journey.

An example would be London Euston to Chester, using a "VTWC & Connections" ticket. These tickets are generally priced £1 or £2 higher than "Virgin Trains only" tickets. The VTWC & Connections allow you to get a VT service from London to Crewe, followed by a TfW Rail train to Chester. There's nothing stopping you from getting a following VT train from Crewe to Chester though (even though it will have come from London Euston) - it is still a connection. If you have the "Virgin Trains only" ticket then you can obviously only travel on Virgin Trains.

 

[YorkC]

The bit I have highlighted is absolute rubbish. Any connection is fine. The only requirement is that you travel on TOC A for some (typically, but not always, the main part) of your journey.

An example would be London Euston to Chester, using a "VTWC & Connections" ticket. These tickets are generally priced £1 or £2 higher than "Virgin Trains only" tickets. The VTWC & Connections allow you to get a VT service from London to Crewe, followed by a TfW Rail train to Chester. There's nothing stopping you from getting a following VT train from Crewe to Chester though (even though it will have come from London Euston) - it is still a connection. If you have the "Virgin Trains only" ticket then you can obviously only travel on Virgin Trains.

Thanks. That was my hunch too in this case. It's really frustrating that staff aren't trained properly on stuff like this that is pretty basic to their job.