Weekend First upgrade on WSMR?

[Squaddie]

Can I upgrade to First Class at weekends on Wrexham & Shropshire?

The National Rail website says that I can, for £15:

Upgrades are priced at £15.00 for a single journey, regardless of the length of journey.

but there's no mention of it on WSMR's website and their customer service phone line is only open during working hours.

Having endured a five-hour journey last weekend in Standard, I'd like to travel in first class this weekend but already have an Advance ticket.

 

[scotsman]

Can I upgrade to First Class at weekends on Wrexham & Shropshire?

The National Rail website says that I can, for £15:

but there's no mention of it on WSMR's website and their customer service phone line is only open during working hours.

Having endured a five-hour journey last weekend in Standard, I'd like to travel in first class this weekend but already have an Advance ticket.

I'm not sure an advance is upgradable anyway. Give them a call on 0845 260 5200 and see what they say, though.

 

[Squaddie]

I'm not sure an advance is upgradable anyway.

Depends on the train company. No problem upgrading an advance ticket on Virgin, for example.

Give them a call on 0845 260 5200 and see what they say, though.

Can't... I'm at work all day (and can't have a mobile phone for security reasons) and they close at 5.30. Which is why I'm asking here.

 

[scotsman]

Depends on the train company. No problem upgrading an advance ticket on Virgin, for example.

Virgin explicitly advertise that though. You could send an email, if you think they'll get back in time. Remember, that you may have to change your booking (should be £10 admin fee plus the difference) to upgrade before travel or, that it may be possible to get an upgrade onboard on the day, subject to availability and whether WSMR/the Guard are prepared to upgrade an advance.

 

[MCR247]

I'm pretty sure you can upgrade with WSMR on advance, but you don't get any free meals

 

[222007]

Why not ask the train crew when you arrive if all else fails?? The worst that can happen is they say no

 

[WSMRMD]

Why not ask the train crew when you arrive if all else fails?? The worst that can happen is they say no

I can confirm that you are able to upgrade on the train.

Apologies for the long journey times but we consider that people would prefer longer journeys than to have to get onto a bus for part of the journey. When we can divert we do.

Regards

Andy Hamilton

 

[jamiese26]

I was also on W&S last weekend (and the weekend before that for that matter) - horrific, but not at all the fault of W&S. On Saturday night I was one of only six on the train, picking it up at Thame Bridge Parkway into Marlyebone. I was waiting for the whole journey for the lovely staff to offer for us to join them in First Class, which was empty! They could have turned the heating off in the other carriages even........

Very handy to know that an upgrade is permitted.

 

[Aictos]

Well myself and a fellow colleague took advantage of the £1 offer last year between Marylebone and Wrexham, actually surprised how quiet the 67 was from inside the coach but anyway all that aside, we upgraded to 1st Class to get the experience from both Standard and First Class and despite the main meal on the menu not being to my liking, the onboard crew came up trumps when they pointed out a 4th choice was available, best £15 I've ever spent and what a bargain - Wrexham to Marylebone in 1st Class!

Because of that, I have no qualms about recommending WSMR to anyone.

Still, welcome to Railforums Andy

 

[Squaddie]

I can confirm that you are able to upgrade on the train.

Thanks for the reply, Andy. That's good to know.

I was also on W&S last weekend (and the weekend before that for that matter) - horrific, but not at all the fault of W&S.

No, it's not the fault of W&S, but trundling through the boondocks at walking speed, in the dark, for hour after hour truly is a horrific experience when all you want to do is get home.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Update.

Thanks to all who offered advice, particularly Andy. In the event, I didn't upgrade. Partly because I felt a little awkward in asking - nothing on WSMR's website, in their literature or in on-train announcements indicated that it was possible to do so - but also because dealing with a potentially uncomfortable journey by upgrading to first class seems to me like rewarding the rail industry for its failings.

And it was undoubtedly horrific. Five hours and 19 minutes of slow running, in which we changed direction four times, lurched from red signal to red signal and made lengthy stops at bleak, dark stations to allow Virgin trains to speed past us. The train crew was lovely, as always, but their announcements and apologies meant little: this was a terrible journey. Although, with just half a dozen passengers on board, at least we had space.

Wrexham & Shropshire doesn't deserve this. To have such an elegant operation ripped to shreds by National Rail is utterly disgraceful.

 

[paul1609]

In all fairness to Network Rail its the aspiration of its parent DB/ Chiltern that are causing most of the delays.
Assuming you are travelling from Wrexham the train is advertised as taking nearly 5 hours, personally I dont understand why anybody would use that train when Virgin are offering 2 hr 30 with just 1 change but if you do thats your choice but dont moan when you train is delayed by a further 20 mins!

 

[Squaddie]

Assuming you are travelling from Wrexham the train is advertised as taking nearly 5 hours, personally I dont understand why anybody would use that train when Virgin are offering 2 hr 30 with just 1 change but if you do thats your choice...

When I booked my ticket, the train was advertised as taking 4 hours - the arrival time printed on my ticket is 21.27. And, in general, a four-hour direct journey in the comfort of WSMR is preferable to a three-hour (and it is usually closer to three hours than 2h30) in a Virgin train.

By the time the revised timetable was released it was too late to get a reasonably-priced Advance ticket with Virgin even if WSMR had let me cancel the ticket I had already bought. The train companies know that they've got you over a barrel with last-minute timetable changes, and even bus substitution, as long as they publish the new schedule in a revised timetable.

...but dont moan when you train is delayed by a further 20 mins!

I think passengers have every right to complain when a train is delayed by 20 minutes.

 

[jamiese26]

Last night's debacle:

Train from Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton via Crewe! Snails pace to just outside Euston (thought about asking to get off and walk!) followed by the back and forth to get us on the right track to Marylebone. Door to door journey time for me in South London was 6.5 hours! Almost transatlanic.

A travelling companion had already purchased an advance ticket for the 15.21 from Wellington, which was subsequently cancelled. A call in to W&S informed that he couldn't get a refund on this ticket, nor could he travel via a different route. Because there was a service in operation he was obliged to use it.

The staff are indeed lovely and very hospitable and it does seem like the big boys are treating W&S very unfairly. I'm a bit of an afficionado and tried my best to reassure my companion and colleague that the journey wasn't indicative of what generally expects (comparing the past month or so to the past year); he has sworn never to travel W&S again, which is a great shame (particularly because he, like me, travels between London and Shropshire at least weekly).

Let's hope it ends soon. I'm as yet undecided whether or not I'm going to spend another 6 hours doing a journey that should take me four at most.

 

[garnon]

Last night's debacle:

Train from Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton via Crewe! Snails pace to just outside Euston (thought about asking to get off and walk!) followed by the back and forth to get us on the right track to Marylebone. Door to door journey time for me in South London was 6.5 hours! Almost transatlanic.

A travelling companion had already purchased an advance ticket for the 15.21 from Wellington, which was subsequently cancelled. A call in to W&S informed that he couldn't get a refund on this ticket, nor could he travel via a different route. Because there was a service in operation he was obliged to use it.

The staff are indeed lovely and very hospitable and it does seem like the big boys are treating W&S very unfairly. I'm a bit of an afficionado and tried my best to reassure my companion and colleague that the journey wasn't indicative of what generally expects (comparing the past month or so to the past year); he has sworn never to travel W&S again, which is a great shame (particularly because he, like me, travels between London and Shropshire at least weekly).

Let's hope it ends soon. I'm as yet undecided whether or not I'm going to spend another 6 hours doing a journey that should take me four at most.

Was this cancelled - or was it a bus to Wolverhampton or Shrewsbury to connect with the train ?

WSMR weekend services will be significantly reduced (3 on Sat and 2 on Sun) once the new timetable comes into effect in December. Shame, as i spent 10 hours on a circular tour yesterday (london - Wrexham - london via Crewe, Chester and Crewe again) on very last minuite advance tickets - a tenner each.