Delay Repay - EMR Having to leave an hour earlier

[burns20]

My mum is travelling from Hykeham to Crewe on Thursday 15th July to meet me(travelling from Machynlleth) for a long weekend in Glasgow

Shes had an email about EMR Regional woes saying her train 1642 from Hykeham to Nottingham and connecting Nottingham to Crewe train have been cancelled and to make her own way to Lincoln Central for the 1535 to Nottingham and arrive an hour earlier into Crewe

Can she claim on delay repay?

 

[alistairlees]

My mum is travelling from Hykeham to Crewe on Thursday 15th July to meet me(travelling from Machynlleth) for a long weekend in Glasgow

Shes had an email about EMR Regional woes saying her train 1642 from Hykeham to Nottingham and connecting Nottingham to Crewe train have been cancelled and to make her own way to Lincoln Central for the 1535 to Nottingham and arrive an hour earlier into Crewe

Can she claim on delay repay?

She won’t be delayed, so no. I realise that sounds harsh.

 

[Watershed]

If she makes a claim under the normal Delay Repay scheme it will almost certainly be rejected, as it doesn't fall within the narrowly defined terms of that scheme.

However, there may still be other compensation available. Your mother could bring a claim under the Consumer Rights Act, for an alleged breach of the duty to provide the service with reasonable care and skill. She could bring a claim for breach of contract.

Or, most easily of all, she could simply write to customer services to raise a complaint and ask for a gesture of goodwill.

This all assumes that your mother would prefer not to travel on the next available service, in which case she is of course entitled to compensation.

 

[Starmill]

She could complain to EMR customer services about the inconvenience, but they wouldn't be required to pay any compensation in line with Delay Repay so it may be difficult to get them to agree to settle a claim.

EMR can't require her to travel to Lincoln Central to begin her journey however, though they can give that option at no extra cost if desired. She can use the next departure from Hykeham is she likes, recognising that you'll be delayed in your arrival then. In that case she'd be able to make a claim for the compensation.

EMR should really be stopping an alternative train at Hykeham, suggesting an alternative departure, or providing alternative road transport, not telling people to start their journey from a different station.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Can't see any midweek 1642 service from Hykeham to Nottingham for at least the next couple of weeks. Have they all been removed from the timetable?

Alternative services from Hykeham (to Nottingham, direct) at 1445 and 1746.

Presumably the latter service stuffs up onward connections.

From Hykeham in the opposite direction back towards Lincoln, there's a 1520 departure, arrives Lincoln 1531 but almost certainly too tight a connection for the 1535 train from Lincoln to Nottingham (then Leicester), and which presumably runs non-stop back through Hykeham.

P.S. Hykeham to Lincoln = 4 miles by rail. Think EMR should do the decent thing and cover the taxi fare for the OP's mum.

 

[yorkie]

Can she claim on delay repay?

If she ends up being delayed, yes.

I personally would not travel earlier as this could result in no compensation being due (though any costs incurred in getting to an alternative station should be covered); I would aim to depart at the first available time after the booked departure time and if this resulted in a delay, it would be a valid claim.

I'd also push EMR to provide alternative transport; they are contractually required to do so.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Looking on timetablehistory.com, the train in question (2L72 16:32 Lincoln Central to Leicester) was removed from the timetable on Thursday 8th July. Though both of the cancelled trains are included in the list of cancellations from Saturday 19th June on the EMR website. Related to that, when was the ticket purchased?

The NRE Journey Planner is suggesting catching the 17:46 from Hykeham and changing at Newark Castle (with a 40 minute wait) to arrive at Crewe at 21:00, as opposed to the change at Nottingham from the 16:46, which was the cancelled 18:16 (17:36 from Newark Castle), which would have arrived at 19:57.

As such, if your Mum were to catch the 17:46 instead, she'd be entitled to claim 100% Delay Repay (if it's a Single ticket - 50% if it's one leg of a Return).

As an aside, it's possible to get the 17:46 and arrive at Crewe at 20:16 by changing at Nottingham and Tamworth, though it's only a 10 minute connection at Nottingham and 9 minutes at Tamworth (which also involves going from the High Level platforms to the Trent Valley ones).

 

[Andy Pacer]

I'd also push EMR to provide alternative transport; they are contractually required to do so.

Unfortunately in my experience of their customer services staff they may well take some persuading. One even agreed that "they had left me stranded with no way of getting home" when I had a debate on alternative transport recently.

 

[burns20]

Tickets were bought on the 3rd July

We're aiming to catch the 2050 from Crewe to Glasgow together

An hour delay on the return now too with the cancellation of the 1809 Crewe to Nottingham

 

[Watershed]

Tickets were bought on the 3rd July

We're aiming to catch the 2050 from Crewe to Glasgow together

An hour delay on the return now too with the cancellation of the 1809 Crewe to Nottingham

That's a difficult one - obviously you will not want to risk missing that train, as it is the last train of the day to Glasgow (the Lowland Sleeper doesn't stop at Crewe).

There is an itinerary from Hykeham to Glasgow departing at 16:53, changing at Newark North Gate and Edinburgh. That would actually involve arriving into Glasgow 1.5 hours earlier than booked!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There is an itinerary from Hykeham to Glasgow departing at 16:53, changing at Newark North Gate and Edinburgh. That would actually involve arriving into Glasgow 1.5 hours earlier than booked!

That's via the ECML, isn't it, so how would the OP's mum get to travel onward from Crewe together with the OP?

 

[Watershed]

That's via the ECML, isn't it, so how would the OP's mum get to travel onward from Crewe together with the OP?

That's one of the issues with that itinerary - on top of any ticket 'difficulties' if OP's mum has split tickets via Crewe. However I still think it's worth a mention.

 

[burns20]

She has ticketwise

Hykeham-Nottingham Off Peak Return
Nottingham-Carlisle Advance Singles
Carlisle to Glasgow Off Peak Return

 

[Watershed]

She has ticketwise

Hykeham-Nottingham Off Peak Return
Nottingham-Carlisle Advance Singles
Carlisle to Glasgow Off Peak Return

Hmm, a difficult one then. Even if she wanted to go via Newark, she would probably only be allowed to travel that way if she was at risk of being stranded overnight.

I think taking the suggested itinerary via Nottingham and Tamworth may be the 'least worst' option if your mum doesn't want to leave earlier.

 

[burns20]

Would it be a permitted route with her e-tickets having a printed connection (albeit it at times not running) via Uttoxeter

Already tried to convince her to go via Tamworth but 2 issues she has is High to Low Level, she's unfamiliar with it and is comparing it to changing trains at Retford

Also getting charged on XC and LNWR from Nottingham to Crewe

 

[Watershed]

Would it be a permitted route with her e-tickets having a printed connection (albeit it at times not running) via Uttoxeter

Already tried to convince her to go via Tamworth but 2 issues she has is High to Low Level, she's unfamiliar with it and is comparing it to changing trains at Retford

Also getting charged on XC and LNWR from Nottingham to Crewe

If travelling on an Advance ticket and one of your trains is cancelled, you can travel on the next itinerary that complies with the route/TOC restrictions shown on the ticket.

As there isn't a later train via Uttoxeter that will get her to Crewe in time for the last train to Carlisle, she has no choice but to take an alternative route.

Her ticket will be route "Avanti & Connections", therefore she is perfectly entitled to travel on XC and WMT to make her booked train from Crewe.

The change at Tamworth is easy. Take a seat towards the middle of the train when boarding at Nottingham - that will be the best position upon arrival at Tamworth. Then it's straight down the stairs/lift to the Low Level platform towards Crewe.

 

[alistairlees]

Whilst it adds to the journey time and is undoubtedly inconvenient, can she not travel on the 14.45 from Hykeham, changing at Nottingham and Derby to arrive at Crewe at 19.00? There should be no cost to changing the Advance tickets, under the industry's "Book with Confidence" scheme, which all TOC retailers and most independent retailers are participating in. Afterwards you can ask for compensation from the retailer / carrier.

 

[Starmill]

This really goes to show how little effort has been made with these timetable changes by EMR. You can't just remove half of the services from particular stations and tell people to use a different station because the other trains don't stop. If it was genuinely not possible to make extra stops, they need to be organising alternative transport.