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Avanti West Coast cancellations
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voyagerdude220
Established Member
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Today's 1M07 10:38 Glasgow to London Euston sat at Oxenholme 12:36-13:05 today and at Preston 13:36-14:00 due to overcrowding. (previous service cancelled due to no train crew). It didn't stop at Wigan or Warrington either.
Absolutely scandalous but probably a typical representation of what travelling by Avanti is currently like at the weekend. An emergency timetable is urgently needed which can guarantee at least an hourly service on all routes from start to finish of the day, everyday !
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Shouldn't be too bad, about 4-5hrs down the motorway.
Most of my London trips are weekend Manchester - London, (my local station being Rochdale). I’ve basically given up with Avanti now due to the current state of the service.
I‘m highly likely to get both both a cheaper and crucially more reliable service, using LNER via Leeds, without too much (if any) real time penalty.
I‘m highly likely to get both both a cheaper and crucially more reliable service, using LNER via Leeds, without too much (if any) real time penalty.
jwbuchanan
Member
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Most of our trips are for leisure, and in no particular hurry. TBH, Avanti works out great - we get Delay Repay so often it's saving a fortune 
Straight trip fair enough. This one called at Stockport, Macc, Stoke, Milton Keynes and Watford unless it was what non-stop. I think VT did that, I found my VT pack of cards the other day from about 20 years ago when it was a direct RRB from Wolverhampton to Picc, shame I didn't keep the whole 'family games' pack. Usual VT banter.. 'Oh no it's a replacement railway bus.. but..' think you had some snacks too.
Sounds like a typical weekend journey, I know that - but Joe public doesn't.
Usually a number of coaches work end-to-end non-stop, with each starting at the appropriate locations, with a second or third coach if numbers require. More may also be used to cover the intermediate journeys (e.g. Macclesfield to Stoke-on-Trent) if no alternative train ticket acceptance.
voyagerdude220
Established Member
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This evening's 20:25 and 20:50 London to Preston services both departed Euston over 100 minutes late due to train crew issues.
Why haven’t they advised passengers to catch the train to Birmingham and put buses on from New Street to London..?
It wouldn't save much time, it wouldn't be particularly good customer service, and there is no guarantee there'd be enough capacity for that.
Mind you as bad as Avanti are transpennine are a waste of space. They’re terminiating every service from Manchester airport on Sundays at Lancaster of all places and running 0 services out of Glasgow so trains on the west coast are at an all time low
voyagerdude220
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1M07 06:30 Glasgow to London starting at Preston today, 9M50 06:52 Edinburgh to London cancelled throughout. 1M08 07:37 Glasgow to London reported full and standing departing Glasgow.. And now been said to be terminating at Preston due to no Driver available south of Preston. 1M09 08:36 Glasgow to London cancelled.
M&NEJ
Member
I'm trying to make sense of RealTime Trains: seems like 1M08 (390.107) arrived in platform 4 at Preston at 10:27 and an unidentified 390 departed platform 4 as 9M50, five minutes later - the same train presumably but now going via Birmingham?
I felt sorry for the three Avanti staff on the ground in Glasgow Central yesterday afternoon. They were clearly getting minimal to no support from Avanti Ops and having to deal with several hundred passengers who couldn't travel.
The 14:35 was cancelled as the inbound train set had only made it as far as Preston. We saw the 15:35 depart late with a long line of booked passengers not allowed to board. We were there for the 16:38 which was then cancelled, as was the final Avanti train, the 17:34. Despite both train sets being inbound, the reason we were told was that they didn't have crew to take them back south.
Having confirmed with the ground staff there was absolutely no chance this situation would change, they said that if we could get home via Edinburgh, we should do that, and that they were putting in place the necessary cross-company ticket acceptance.
You've guessed it. Within minutes of our Scotrail service to Edinburgh departing, Avanti reinstated the 17:34, and did not put in place any ticket acceptance with Scotrail. Fortunately, the Scotrail staff couldn't have been more understanding and were happy to let us travel without further payment.
The rub is that, despite getting to our destination three hours late, including taxi supplied from Birmingham New Street, we can't even get any Delay Repay.
We originally booked direct with Avanti during what became a lockdown last year, and applied for a refund via their webform. After a month, I got a response saying they were overwhelmed, so, rather than refund me, they were giving me a code for two free first-class returns that had to be booked on Avanti Advance fares, which seemed like a reasonable deal at the time. That was a mistake.
Avanti subsequently removed pretty much all first-class Advance inventory northbound from Trent Valley stations. Complaining about that, they suggested we book from Euston and fund our own connecting services to join their trains en route, which is what we did. Hence, we had zero-value Avanti tickets to/from Euston for which no Delay Repay is due, despite having forked out for tickets originally. Nice little wheeze from First Group!
One of the Avanti on-board crew on the Edinburgh to Birmingham service -- there were at least five in total so this doesn't identify them -- was telling me how it's even worse for crew since Avanti took over from Virgin. The down-station support for getting crew home when they are late or stranded is apparently really bad now.
The 14:35 was cancelled as the inbound train set had only made it as far as Preston. We saw the 15:35 depart late with a long line of booked passengers not allowed to board. We were there for the 16:38 which was then cancelled, as was the final Avanti train, the 17:34. Despite both train sets being inbound, the reason we were told was that they didn't have crew to take them back south.
Having confirmed with the ground staff there was absolutely no chance this situation would change, they said that if we could get home via Edinburgh, we should do that, and that they were putting in place the necessary cross-company ticket acceptance.
You've guessed it. Within minutes of our Scotrail service to Edinburgh departing, Avanti reinstated the 17:34, and did not put in place any ticket acceptance with Scotrail. Fortunately, the Scotrail staff couldn't have been more understanding and were happy to let us travel without further payment.
The rub is that, despite getting to our destination three hours late, including taxi supplied from Birmingham New Street, we can't even get any Delay Repay.
We originally booked direct with Avanti during what became a lockdown last year, and applied for a refund via their webform. After a month, I got a response saying they were overwhelmed, so, rather than refund me, they were giving me a code for two free first-class returns that had to be booked on Avanti Advance fares, which seemed like a reasonable deal at the time. That was a mistake.
Avanti subsequently removed pretty much all first-class Advance inventory northbound from Trent Valley stations. Complaining about that, they suggested we book from Euston and fund our own connecting services to join their trains en route, which is what we did. Hence, we had zero-value Avanti tickets to/from Euston for which no Delay Repay is due, despite having forked out for tickets originally. Nice little wheeze from First Group!
One of the Avanti on-board crew on the Edinburgh to Birmingham service -- there were at least five in total so this doesn't identify them -- was telling me how it's even worse for crew since Avanti took over from Virgin. The down-station support for getting crew home when they are late or stranded is apparently really bad now.
Last edited:
syorksdeano
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- 7 Jan 2011
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- 780
You still should be entitled to
You should still be entitled to delay repay.
Birmingham
Member
100% compensation for £0 is still £0.
But indeed you could complain again for yet more vouchers…
syorksdeano
Member
- Joined
- 7 Jan 2011
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- 780
Thats what I meant. With Northern if you are delayed on one of their complimentary tickets, you just put the claim in for another. In fact it lists it on the form
nlogax
Established Member
It feels like this has been a long-running problem, and one I've highlighted to Avanti on more than one occasion since last year. Can't fault the staff at Central but they do seem to be exposed by a lack of comms or support. Feel hugely sorry for them.
FormerBritInMe
Member
Following this thread with some trepidation as I am planning to travel early September from Euston to Holyhead then ferry to Dublin. At least it will be on a weekday. Between the issues with Avanti and the possibility of a train strike or another heat wave, wondering if I should book a refundable flight as a backup.
Also a worry since the connection to the ferry is 30 minutes or so, even a late train could be a problem. I wonder if one purchases a through rail and sail ticket EUS to Dublin Ferryport if the connection is guaranteed so they have to get you there on the next boat?
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Also a worry since the connection to the ferry is 30 minutes or so, even a late train could be a problem. I wonder if one purchases a through rail and sail ticket EUS to Dublin Ferryport if the connection is guaranteed so they have to get you there on the next boat?
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Doesn't C2C still use guards in their 12 carriage formations? Or has that changed?
It was the same 390 (107), 1M08 was cancelled between Preston and Euston, whilst 9M50 was cancelled between Edinburgh and Preston - but then went WCML direct between Stafford & Rugby and arrived Euston 50+ late, having been 94 late at Stafford.............perhaps the data being input into RTT is also suffering from the heat!
Preceeding Glasgow-Euston 1M07 cancelled as far as Preston whilst following Glasgow-Euston behind 1M08 (1M15) cancelled throughout!
However if you wanted to travel from Preston to Glasgow today there were services at 11.59, 12.04 & 12.07 (although 11.59 sat at Preston for 40 minutes waiting driver!)
Another fantastic morning for Avanti...
0505 MAN - EUS cancelled at Crewe
0635 MAN - EUS cancelled
0643 MAN - EUS cancelled
0735 MAN - EUS cancelled
0815 MAN - EUS cancelled
0855 MAN - EUS cancelled
Liverpool and Preston routes also badly affected.
It’s like playing Minesweeper at this point...
0505 MAN - EUS cancelled at Crewe
0635 MAN - EUS cancelled
0643 MAN - EUS cancelled
0735 MAN - EUS cancelled
0815 MAN - EUS cancelled
0855 MAN - EUS cancelled
Liverpool and Preston routes also badly affected.
It’s like playing Minesweeper at this point...
Peregrine 4903
Established Member
Don't you think the current heat related issues will be playing a part in this?
londonmidland
Established Member
There is/was a complete loss of signalling between Manchester Piccadilly & Macclesfield.
Value on ticket is the full price of the ticket if paid with voucher code
I had the same and successfully claimed delay repay
Interesting.
Avanti's original email confirmation shows the original pre-discount value of £196.00 crossed out replaced by £0.00. The eTicket itself just shows £0.00.
Have you experience of submitting one of these £0.00 tickets to Avanti, or was it another TOC?
Did you declare zero as the price paid or £196?
Was it accepted on first pass, or did it have to go via appeal?
Similar thing happened on the Euston-Glasgow Avanti service (yesterday). I was en route back to Penrith from Reading. Avanti service from Birmingham I was intending to catch was shown as cancelled (I was travelling on the XC service from Reading, intending to change at Birmingham) so I changed at Coventry, heaeded to Rugby and picked up the 12.09 Glasgow service from Euston. When we reached Preston the train manager announced that the train was 'dangerously overcrowded' and wasn't going anywhere unless enough people got off. She asked anyone travelling to Lancaster or Penrith to leave the train and pick up the train coming in directly after our train, so being public spirited I exited said train. Unfortunately, the train behind (which oddly appeared to be the same Birmingham-Edinburgh train that had earlier been shown as cancelled) was significantly shorter and crammed. They let us all get on (don't really understand why it wasn't also 'dangerously overcrowded' but hey) and I made it back to Penrith, though my face was literally pressed against the door glass in the vestibule (and my goodness it was hot!) Actually, it all got a bit Dunkirk Spirit. We were practically all having a sing-song by the time we reached Lancaster.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Pendolinos end up with a tilt fault and 110 limit if too overcrowded. Perhaps Voyagers are more tolerant.
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