Oh sorry, stupid suggestion then. And you'll have checked for a split ticket saving I guess.
Yes, that doesn't help (saves a tenner or so, but I wouldn't be able to offset the cost of my current ticket).
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VTEC / Northern Advance on strike day
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Yes, that doesn't help (saves a tenner or so, but I wouldn't be able to offset the cost of my current ticket).
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Oh sorry, stupid suggestion then
This is still better advice than the VTEC twitter team gave!!!
If you can get as far as Leeds, could you take the 76 (was 760) bus back to Keighley? It's not ideal, but won't leave you badly out of pocket (it's £5 to Bingley, so presumably a few quid more?). I ended up doing this during the last strike action in late August after arriving in Leeds long after the last train to Skipton. Surprisingly, it wasn't very busy.
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It's the 60. I could get it from Shipley too (but if the train is late I could be waiting an hour - I used to do that link quite often at one time).
And if the train was 10 minutes late and I missed that bus, could I claim Delay Repay?
It's £4.20 for a day ticket.
That advice is much better than anything VTEC or Northern have suggested, but does still leave me making my own way to a station I've got a ticket to (and already made the outward journey).
I wouldn't mind so much if VTEC didn't have a service going to my destination half an hour earlier.
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D'oh! I don't live in Bingley anymore (I was visiting family), so was surprised to find a lot of service numbers have had a shuffle. I've mis-remembered the new one!
You're quite right that it still leaves you effectively paying for the same journey twice -- this wasn't applicable in my case as I'd left sorting tickets out too late and the strike timetable had been published by that point.
Could you keep your bus ticket and try and claim delay repay for your delay plus the cost of the additional transport to get you to your stated destination? Although another poster has suggested that Northern are fairly broadly sweeping all claims away...
You're quite right that it still leaves you effectively paying for the same journey twice -- this wasn't applicable in my case as I'd left sorting tickets out too late and the strike timetable had been published by that point.
Could you keep your bus ticket and try and claim delay repay for your delay plus the cost of the additional transport to get you to your stated destination? Although another poster has suggested that Northern are fairly broadly sweeping all claims away...
I think the only service Keighley Bus route that serves Keighley that hasn't changed number is the 662, which they mostly refer to as The Shuttle anyway.
Northern have suggested I travel 2.5 hours earlier, on another day. Both have refused to pay for any onward travel.
The 760 is now the 60 and has the advantage of stopping on Briggate and Market Square in Shipley, unlike the 662 which is up on Bradford Road.
This seems ridiculous! I was quite surprised when I was checking my own journey that no buses etc. were being put on, even for a busy service like Leeds <-> Skipton.
I've read several accounts of Northern refusing to pay for pre-booked travel affected by the strike. How are they able to get away with this? I've no idea how this works in a legal/regulatory sense, but surely if a passenger has a ticket and itinerary from A to B, they are obliged to get them there? I can understand in my case -- the strike timetable had been published, I didn't hold a ticket, so I knew I would have to make alternative arrangements. But if you've booked in advance, why is thought acceptable to be told "Nope, can't get you there, no refunds, no expenses"?
Indeed - I used to commute on the 1803 and 1833 from London. And as I'll have two suitcases and a backpack I don't want to be going too far...
If you have to make your own onward travel arrangements because the train companies have refused, I would claim that back citing the NRCoT and explaining that was in your contract. So if you are forced to pay for Shipley to Keighley by bus or taxi after they have refused to pay out I would try to claim that back. With luggage I would be strongly tempted to just get a taxi from Shipley and ask them for a receipt. But in the first instance I would still try to get the 1803 if at all possible, pointing out that that's what Northern advised.
I certainly wouldn't buy any other train tickets though as it is that that has left you in this mess in the first place. There will be hundreds like you no doubt who are unaware they may be left stranded.
I certainly wouldn't buy any other train tickets though as it is that that has left you in this mess in the first place. There will be hundreds like you no doubt who are unaware they may be left stranded.
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More bizarre advice this morning. Northern have suggested buying a new ticket for the 1803 and claiming delay repay on the 1833 (even though I wouldn't be travelling on it). I queried this and they told me I should put a delay of 2 hours in.
That would put me £100 down as the new ticket is far more expensive just a few days before, so I won't be doing that.
That would put me £100 down as the new ticket is far more expensive just a few days before, so I won't be doing that.
dave4jackie
Member
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if arriva buses run to keighley you can use your train ticket on the normal bus service
They don't. They run very little north of Leeds.
Yes, I've seen that. I'm allowed to travel on the next or previous day. Unfortunately that's not very convenient due to work commitments (and the cost of a hotel) Flexibility does not exist on the day though according to both VTEC and Northern (though Northern have said it does and it doesn't).
That's sheer madness. You have to think VTEC don't know what they are doing. I get the impression that they are working to a script and are not listening to the simplicity of what you are asking for.
According to the CEO email website, the CEO of VTEC is David Horne and he can be contacted at [email protected].
I've had results, with other organisations, by going to the top. Might be worth a try.
That's what they seem to be telling him. Lunacy.
You can even travel a day later! But absolutely not half an hour earlier...
Yes. This point has been specifically put to them and VTEC said they'd be more flexible if it was their strike.
I've also noticed that if I ask any questions outside the times of the shift of the person who originally answered they're completely ignored.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
There really needs to be a national policy on this, which should be that if a train on a booked Advance is disrupted such that the journey is not possible as shown without more than a specified delay it becomes an Anytime Day Single with the TOCs specified.
David Horne has his own Twitter account https://twitter.com/DavidHorne/with_replies and has offered his email address in response to this tweet:
So, it looks like he his willing to listen.
SaveECRewards
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He always gives the impression about appearing to listen, but is he?
I remember when there was a tube strike on, someone was going from somewhere on the VTEC network, to somewhere on the SWT network (both Stagecoach at the time). They needed to get to wherever they needed on SWT at the time they booked so they asked VTEC if they could get an earlier train. It was declined. I pointed out the Tweet to David Horne and suggested they have more flexibility on bookings during a strike. Nothing seemed to change though.
I think Northern are only aiming to cover a 12-hour day.
91109
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"If customers with 'VTEC & Connections' tickets travel on the strike days but need to travel at a different time but on the same day then this is permitted, as Northern will be operating limited connecting services as a result of the industrial action."
John @ home
Established Member
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I note that the wording above is a quote. Can 91109 please tell us the source of this information?
91109
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Internal email
SaveECRewards
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When was it sent? In other words would the social team have been aware of it when the question was asked or is it new guidance?
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