Transpennine cancellations

[algytaylor]

Hi

I'd booked a week (Mon-Fri) away in Newcastle before the recent rail strikes were announced, for this week. It's obviously very disappointing, but fully support the striking workers so decided to cut it short by a day and come back on Thursday.

Fast forward to today, and there's no Transpennine services as they've been cancelled. Got the only service we could, which was a Cross Country train, then have been stung for £130-odd quid for that section of the journey (2x adult singles, Railcard not accepted). There was no other TPE services for 2 days after, or the day before.

Absolutely not blaming the staff here, but we're in the middle of a cost of living crisis, I'm not *that* well paid that £130 isn't going to have a major impact on my finances this month (i.e. will probably mean skipping meals).

What's my best course of action here? Can I get a reimbursement for the tickets from TPE?

 

[Wallsendmag]

Did you check with Transpennine as to what you could use your ticket on?

 

[algytaylor]

It was an advanced / TPE only ticket. However, there's been 4 consecutive days without TPE running at all, it feels instinctively like it ought to be a situation where there was some flexibility around the rules...

 

[Wallsendmag]

It was an advanced / TPE only ticket. However, there's been 4 consecutive days without TPE running at all, it feels instinctively like it ought to be a situation where there was some flexibility around the rules...

There may well have been but I know that TOCs distribute details of ticket acceptance that is in place to their staff. I take it you didn't check? What was the journey? Judging by their web site they are running more or less normally

 

[LYuen]

Don't worry, you are entitled to travel on alternative service with your advanced ticket of the cancelled train.

 

[algytaylor]

There may well have been but I know that TOCs distribute details of ticket acceptance that is in place to their staff. I take it you didn't check? What was the journey? Judging by their web site they are running more or less normally

Yeah, the website was the main reason for not cancelling the trip all together. However, the departure boards at Newcastle said otherwise!

Was booked for 1504 Newcastle to Leeds (TPE), 1643 Leeds to Chester (Northern), then on to Wrexham General (TfW) - all for Friday. Tried to travel on the same services today, but had to use 1440 from NCL to Leeds as 1504 (and every other TPE service) was cancelled

Don't worry, you are entitled to travel on alternative service with your advanced ticket of the cancelled train.

So did I, but the ticket conductor charged me £130.80 ...

 

[Watershed]

What ticket(s) did you hold? The exact prices, Railcard discounts and origins/destinations will help us confirm whether you were correct to be charged or not.

Since the delay in arrival at Wrexham by waiting for the next TPE service from Newcastle would have been just over an hour (20:34 vs 19:32 planned), TPE would have been obliged to re-route you at the earliest opportunity - i.e. arrange ticket acceptance to allow you to travel on the 14:40 service - if you had asked them. If you had done so, and they had failed or refuse to arrange ticket acceptance, then they would be liable for the additional fare you incurred.

Having presumably failed to ask them to arrange such re-routing, it's a more nuanced case.

I don't in any way say this to try and blame you - the advice and alternatives the industry have offered for the strike have been very poor, and they have conveniently omitted to mention the fact that you are entitled to alternative transport if you do still want to travel on your booked date. But for future reference, it's always worth asking a TOC to arrange re-routing in cases such as these. Their likely refusal to do so can then be used against them.

 

[mangyiscute]

Just had a look at the TPE website and this is the advice given on the page. It clearly states that you can use the ticket today (the 1st), but I would argue the line "Your ticket will be valid for travel on other services" suggests that your ticket is valid on other TOCs and "If you have an ‘Advance’ ticket, please travel as close as possible to the original day and time of travel as possible." suggests to me that taking that cross country train is what they want you to do. You could send them this wording as the explanation for what you did if they argue you did the wrong thing.