x4 Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street (TPE) trains all cancelled

[Willie Bee]

I am travelling to Manchester, from Newcastle on the last Sunday in October and had initially been thinking about booking a direct TPE train.

In the end, I have booked a trip via Doncaster (LNER) then TPOE to Manchester

If i had been going today, rather than 6 weeks time, 4 TPE trains in a row were cancelled. What would happen then, do other train operatives help out ?

 

[skyhigh]

Yesterday was a particularly bad day as engineering work had closed one route between Huddersfield and Manchester and a large hole discovered in a bridge closed the only other route TPE could use. This effectively meant no trains could run through.

There was ticket acceptance with Northern via any reasonable route.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Not sure what tickets the OP has booked exactly, but can walk up route "Any Permitted" tickets from Newcastle to Manchester Stns be used via Carlisle if there's problems on the East side of the Pennines?

 

[NorthOxonian]

Not sure what tickets the OP has booked exactly, but can walk up route "Any Permitted" tickets from Newcastle to Manchester Stns be used via Carlisle if there's problems on the East side of the Pennines?

Yes - this is traceable on routing guide maps GN and MG. From Carlisle both the West Coast Main Line and (surprisingly) the Cumbrian Coast are both permitted, though the latter would rarely be used in practice.

Maps HA+HV also allow for travel via Doncaster and Sheffield, while MN gives the obvious routing via Huddersfield (as well as the Calder Valley route).

This is obviously immaterial if an advance ticket is held (or walk up tickets with a split such as at York - this being significantly cheaper than the through walk up).

 

[AndrewE]

Yes - this is traceable on routing guide maps GN and MG. From Carlisle both the West Coast Main Line and (surprisingly) the Cumbrian Coast are both permitted, though the latter would rarely be used in practice.

Maps HA+HV also allow for travel via Doncaster and Sheffield, while MN gives the obvious routing via Huddersfield (as well as the Calder Valley route).

This is obviously immaterial if an advance ticket is held

Why? Railway sells ticket for journey A to B. Railway finds itself completely unable to deliver promise of transport - for whatever reason - but journey can still be made by other routes.
Passenger still needs to travel.... so they should be allowed to divert.

"1 company-only" tickets are a way to benefit that company by cornering revenue, but they should be forced to recognise the risk that goes with it - of having to "buy tickets" for people by other routes if Company 1 can't deliver.
Again we see private gain, public pain!

 

[Willie Bee]

Not sure what tickets the OP has booked exactly, but can walk up route "Any Permitted" tickets from Newcastle to Manchester Stns be used via Carlisle if there's problems on the East side of the Pennines?

OP here

I had thought about getting the direct TPE train to Manchester, but in the end decided against it.

I am not travelling until 29th October, going Newcastle - Doncaster on LNER (£33 for wife and I) then TPE to Manchester (£15 first class) so not too bad a price.

I only booked a couple of weeks ago having waited and waited, but cheap TPE fares were still not yet available and my worry was maybe there wouldn't be any tickets left. Having already booked hotels and the return trip that wouldn't be all that great A few days after I booked, the TPE cheapie fares came out at about £28 .. I probably would have been tempted, but seeing things on Sunday makes me glad I didn't