Headline: I was booked to travel from Wolverhampton to Euston on the last Virgin service of the day on 25 Jul 19 (the warmest day on record in UK) using an Advanced ticket. Security staff at Wolverhampton advised that the station was closed and there would be no further services that night. The National Rail website said the same. I made alternative arrangements (due to a complete failure to follow NRCOT) and sought a refund of my ticket. Virgin customer services have questioned this. More info below.
Train tickets purchased (via Virgin website) on 13 Jul 19 for a return journey trip to Wolverhampton to attend a football match kicking off at 1945 on 25 Jul 19.
Ticketed as two singles:
- 1 x Super Off-Peak Single West Midlands Trains London Euston to Wolverhampton
- 1 x Advance Single Virgin Trains Wolverhampton to London Euston (2245 service).
Heavily delayed outbound due to problems on the West Coast Mainline outside both Euston and Birmingham New Street. Arrived Euston 1405 to catch 1415 service to Wolverhampton (scheduled arrival 1639). Ultimately, having used Chiltern services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street, arrived in Wolverhampton at 1910.
Attended match between 1945 and 2140 approximately. About 20 minutes from fulltime it was announced that there were no trains running from Wolverhampton station and would not be for the remainder of the evening. Looked at the National Rail Enquiries website on my phone and this confirmed that no services were running from Wolverhampton.
Despite this I went straight to Wolverhampton station after the match, arriving at approximately 2155. There were no rail staff present but large numbers of security guards and British Transport Police. The former, who appeared to have been employed by West Midlands Trains, essentially stated that there were no trains running, passengers had been told not to travel, no arrangements had been made for assistance and that people were on their own at their own expense.
I am aware of the obligations in the National Rail Conditions of Travel (NRCOT) that assistance should be provided in such circumstances. Despite both me quoting that, and indeed disclosing medical conditions which made it essential that I got either back to London or to family in Shropshire where I maintain a small stock of medication, I was disgracefully refused any assistance whatsoever. Thankfully a Shropshire-based friend of my family had also attended the match and was still in Wolverhampton. When I called him, he agreed to give me a lift to Shropshire and did so. As such I (unexpectedly) spent the night of 25 Jul 19 in Shropshire with my family due to the rail disruption.
Given that I already held the unused return portion of a West Midlands Trains Super Off-Peak Return ticket from Shropshire to London (the match timings meant that I wouldn’t have been able to use it after the match on 25 Jul 19) and my Virgin ticket did not cover the whole journey (Telford Central to London Euston) I was making (even though National Rail Enquiries otherwise advised that I could use it on 26 Jul 19) I chose to use the former for my travel.
The Virgin Advance ticket was unused as the service that it was purchased for did not run. As such I sought full refund; no administration fee is due in the case of service disruption (NRCOT). Having attempted to get a refund at Euston I was advised that if the ticket was purchased online a refund should be sought in the same manner. I was also given a copy of Virgin’s Passenger Charter setting out what steps that I needed to take to claim the refund.
Having set out my case to Virgin I received a response which suggested that it hadn't been properly read. In particular there were many mentions of "delay repay" which is completely irrelevant.
Grateful for any assistance, ta in advance.
Train tickets purchased (via Virgin website) on 13 Jul 19 for a return journey trip to Wolverhampton to attend a football match kicking off at 1945 on 25 Jul 19.
Ticketed as two singles:
- 1 x Super Off-Peak Single West Midlands Trains London Euston to Wolverhampton
- 1 x Advance Single Virgin Trains Wolverhampton to London Euston (2245 service).
Heavily delayed outbound due to problems on the West Coast Mainline outside both Euston and Birmingham New Street. Arrived Euston 1405 to catch 1415 service to Wolverhampton (scheduled arrival 1639). Ultimately, having used Chiltern services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street, arrived in Wolverhampton at 1910.
Attended match between 1945 and 2140 approximately. About 20 minutes from fulltime it was announced that there were no trains running from Wolverhampton station and would not be for the remainder of the evening. Looked at the National Rail Enquiries website on my phone and this confirmed that no services were running from Wolverhampton.
Despite this I went straight to Wolverhampton station after the match, arriving at approximately 2155. There were no rail staff present but large numbers of security guards and British Transport Police. The former, who appeared to have been employed by West Midlands Trains, essentially stated that there were no trains running, passengers had been told not to travel, no arrangements had been made for assistance and that people were on their own at their own expense.
I am aware of the obligations in the National Rail Conditions of Travel (NRCOT) that assistance should be provided in such circumstances. Despite both me quoting that, and indeed disclosing medical conditions which made it essential that I got either back to London or to family in Shropshire where I maintain a small stock of medication, I was disgracefully refused any assistance whatsoever. Thankfully a Shropshire-based friend of my family had also attended the match and was still in Wolverhampton. When I called him, he agreed to give me a lift to Shropshire and did so. As such I (unexpectedly) spent the night of 25 Jul 19 in Shropshire with my family due to the rail disruption.
Given that I already held the unused return portion of a West Midlands Trains Super Off-Peak Return ticket from Shropshire to London (the match timings meant that I wouldn’t have been able to use it after the match on 25 Jul 19) and my Virgin ticket did not cover the whole journey (Telford Central to London Euston) I was making (even though National Rail Enquiries otherwise advised that I could use it on 26 Jul 19) I chose to use the former for my travel.
The Virgin Advance ticket was unused as the service that it was purchased for did not run. As such I sought full refund; no administration fee is due in the case of service disruption (NRCOT). Having attempted to get a refund at Euston I was advised that if the ticket was purchased online a refund should be sought in the same manner. I was also given a copy of Virgin’s Passenger Charter setting out what steps that I needed to take to claim the refund.
Having set out my case to Virgin I received a response which suggested that it hadn't been properly read. In particular there were many mentions of "delay repay" which is completely irrelevant.
Grateful for any assistance, ta in advance.