Have you been to Birmingham New Street recently?
I'm pretty sure that whilst it might seem like a really easy thing to do, it might surprise some to know that (a) the departure boards at platform level that show all departures from the station are few and far between at Birmingham New Street and (b) when at a station the Guard/Train Manager has actually got responsibilities to attend to. I imagine Virgin trains have a policy on use of mobiles, though I couldn't tell you what it is, even if the guard had the time to check it (maybe they did, maybe they didn't, I wasn't there).
I'm there most days, and there is at least one on every platform.
If the TM had time to argue with the passenger on the platform, he has time to check that she is telling the truth, should he feel the need to. If not, the passenger can be told they are being given the benefit of the doubt, allowed to board, and any relevant checks can be made on board prior to a ticket check, where if found out to not be telling the truth, the appropriate ticket or penalty can be applied.
It's not unreasonable at all, even if you ignore any time constraints the Guard/Train Manager might be under. I doubt very much that the question of compensation even enters the guards mind, they might even think the compensation is actually good for the passenger (a free ride maybe!), but I doubt that would ever be considered 'good' by the passenger (or their followers) because it never fits the argument.
The TM would be aware though, that a 30+ minute delay means the passenger has a right to compensation for the delay, whether they actually claim it or not. Surely it's good for the TOC to avoid having to pay it (otherwise they might as well power the trains by burning ten pound notes all day) and good for the passenger to get to their destination as close to on time as possible?
Would I rather sit around for a hour waiting for a busy train full of already frustrated people travelling from the north, knowing that after filling a form out and posting it, I'll
eventually get
some of the cost of my ticket refunded as a
voucher, OR get to my destination roughly on time in relatively more comfort? I know which I'd prefer.
The last half of your paragraph here makes no sense, I don't know what you're trying to say here.
Largely irrelevant I think.
It was relevant because of the disruption further north.
Maybe, but we will never know. It might be worth pointing out though, that on my recent trips through Oxford, where trains have been delayed and passengers 'advised' of other connections, Advance ticket holders have been advised to wait for their booked train.
This could also have been the case, but at Wolverhampton with VT's hourly trains to London, I've never experienced otherwise, and was pointing out that this was highly likely.
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You think TOCs send out info about all delayed and cancelled services do you!
I give up, you lot think what you like, I will stick to knowing what I know!:roll:
I wouldn't expect a TM to know the details of every delay and cancellation, no, but I would expect them to have awareness of any general disruption on the network, have a basic understanding of the routes and normal timetable of the TOC, and to be able to access specific information when necessary.
You seem to imply that the TM is incapable of thinking of anything beyond the running of the service they are on.
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In those circumstances, isn't the correct process then is to go to the customer service desk and ask them for advice? They can then authorise earlier travel (or tell you to wait and sort it out at the connecting station).
Have you tried this at Birmingham? The booked train will have arrived before you've explained yourself through the barriers and got any sense out of anyone at the ticket office or information desk (the latter is run by Network Rail who have no idea/care about ticketing).
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The choice passengers take when booking their advance tickets from Birmingham and London is between a train which comes from 300-odd miles to the north and one which has come from London. One would expect that advance fares on the ones from the north should be more expensive but on some occasions they will not be disrupted when the ones coming from London are. Maybe this should be made clear at booking.
I would assume that the OP's partner probably booked on the 1330 because at the time of booking it was cheaper than the 1310. You wouldn't book onto a service 20 minutes later if it was more expensive. The lifting of restrictions on journeys starting at Preston or beyond would have meant there were people having paid all different amounts to travel on different trains anyway, so in this circumstance it is irrelevant to consider the amount someone has paid when deciding if they should be allowed to travel earlier.