LNER refusing to book wheelchair assistance for tickets bought on TrainSplit

[Mojo]

I have recently bought a ticket through TrainSplit which TrainSplit has done a split ticket with an Advance from Kings Cross to Retford and a TPx+HT SDS from Retford to Scunthorpe.

As the person travelling is a wheelchair user which requires the wheelchair space reserved and staff to deploy ramps at all parts of the journey, I tried to book assistance from LNER who is the main operator on the outbound journey, however they are refusing, citing

it will take longer than a minute to disembark our service to then catch your connection onto another train on another platform and we will not be booking assistance in at this moment whilst that is the case as it is setting up failure.

However the passenger is not connecting at Retford, it is a through train all the way to Doncaster.

We have tried to explain that we are not exiting the train and it is merely a split ticket but they are not having it.

For anyone who is not aware; you don’t manually type in train details on LNER when booking assistance, you just provide booking reference and they presumably access the computer system and take it from there.

Now trying to find a Toc that lets you manually input journey details to request assistance!

 

[30907]

Have you tried the phone? (serious comnent!)

 

[skyhigh]

Poor.

I'd try the passenger assistance app as bookings are supposed to go through to the same system.

Home | Passenger Assistance

booking.passengerassistance.com

 

[greatkingrat]

If you are travelling on Hull Trains, wouldn't it be better to go through them rather than LNER?

 

[bcarmicle]

This form doesn't seem to require the booking reference? There's a space for it but you could just leave it blank.

LNER Support

www.lner.co.uk

 

[Gaelan]

DMing LNER on Twitter might also be worth a shot; in my experience TOCs' social media staff tend to be quite good.

 

[Mojo]

If you are travelling on Hull Trains, wouldn't it be better to go through them rather than LNER?

As stated in the OP; the outbound journey primary operator is LNER.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 May 2023 ==

This form doesn't seem to require the booking reference? There's a space for it but you could just leave it blank.

LNER Support

www.lner.co.uk

That is the form I’ve already completed, I can’t go back and fill it again as they have already opened a case.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 May 2023 ==

Poor.

I'd try the passenger assistance app as bookings are supposed to go through to the same system.

Home | Passenger Assistance

booking.passengerassistance.com

I will give this a try when my case at Lner is closed, I’ve asked them to refer it to a manager as the person who dealt with it initially is clearly incapable. I’m just utterly flabbergasted at the incompetence of LNER staff.

 

[LowLevel]

The passenger assist web page should be able to do that I'd have thought? I used it a few weeks ago to help a customer book assistance when a ticket office was shut and it seemed to be pretty easy to get it to do what you want with no booking details required (indeed due to the ticket office closure no ticket had yet been purchased).

The only problem might be with booking out the wheelchair space, but the app seemed to have a tick box for that. Whether it does anything of course is a different matter.

Failing that call Hull Trains I'd have said - a pain, but better than turning up to find spaces occupied.

 

[Haywain]

As stated in the OP; the outbound journey primary operator is LNER.

I'm puzzled that the journey could be using a "TPx + HT" ticket on an LNER service between Retford and Doncaster. Perhaps you could clarify this?

 

[Cantab26]

an Advance from Kings Cross to Retford and a TPx+HT SDS from Retford to Scunthorpe.

However the passenger is not connecting at Retford, it is a through train all the way to Doncaster.

Please would you clarify: you have been sold a TPE+HT only ticket for travel on an LNER service from Retford to Doncaster?

I tried to book assistance from LNER who is the main operator on the outbound journey, however they are refusing,

Are you sure that LNER is the main operator and not Hull Trains?

 

[Mojo]

I'm puzzled that the journey could be using a "TPx + HT" ticket on an LNER service between Retford and Doncaster. Perhaps you could clarify this?

Not travelling on Lner on this leg.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 May 2023 ==

Please would you clarify: you have been sold a TPE+HT only ticket for travel on an LNER service from Retford to Doncaster?

No, this ticket has been sold this ticket to travel on a HT service.

 

[Haywain]

Not travelling on Lner on this leg.

You also said there is no change at Retford, and the only way that can be true with such a ticket is by travelling with Hull Trains.

 

[Mojo]

You also said there is no change at Retford, and theonlyway that can be true with such a ticket is by travelling with Hull Trains.

This is correct. I’m not sure what is the confusion here?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 May 2023 ==

Are you sure that LNER is the main operator and not Hull Trains?

Yes, LNER is the main operator on the outbound journey.

 

[Haywain]

This is correct. I’m not sure what is the confusion here?

Perhaps because you know what the journey is you can't see how your posts have made things unclear. These posts contradict each other:

I tried to book assistance from LNER who is the main operator on the outbound journey,

However the passenger is not connecting at Retford, it is a through train all the way to Doncaster.

Not travelling on Lner on this leg.

 

[Mojo]

Perhaps because you know what the journey is you can't see how your posts have made things unclear. These posts contradict each other:

The leg that is the problem is on Hull Trains, it is a through train from Kings Cross to Doncaster. I stated this in the OP.

LNER are refusing to book assistance as they say it does not meet the minimum connection time, although there is no need to connect there as it is merely a split ticket.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

The leg that is the problem is on Hull Trains, it is a through train from Kings Cross to Doncaster. I stated this in the OP.

LNER are refusing to book assistance as they say it does not meet the minimum connection time, although there is no need to connect there as it is merely a split ticket.

(I can't give an answer but hopefully trying to clarify the problem)

So the help you need is (1) boarding at Kings Cross and (2) reserving the wheelchair space on the Hull Trains service from Kings Cross to Doncaster?

 

[Haywain]

The leg that is the problem is on Hull Trains, it is a through train from Kings Cross to Doncaster. I stated this in the OP.

You stated it was a through train but do not mention Hull Trains, that’s how confusion has arisen.

Have you tried contacting Hull Trains about this?

 

[Segedunum]

Just ring Hull Trains Passenger Assist - that'll be the best thing to do.

 

[Mojo]

Normally when booking assistance you only have to do it once, regardless of what Toc you are travelling with. I’ve always done it with whomever operates the outbound journey. It’s a bit frustrating to have to duplicate work because of the incompetence of LNER staff. As above, once LNER closes my case I will use the Passenger Assistance website.

 

[Cantab26]

Normally when booking assistance you only have to do it once, regardless of what Toc you are travelling with. I’ve always done it with whomever operates the outbound journey. It’s a bit frustrating to have to duplicate work because of the incompetence of LNER staff.

To clarify: this is a return leg of a round trip where the outward leg is (primarily) operated by LNER?

 

[Mojo]

To clarify: this is a return leg of a round trip where the outward leg is (primarily) operated by LNER?

Yes, but the outward leg is not in dispute as TrainSplit has booked a single ticket.

 

[Haywain]

To clarify: this is a return leg of a round trip where the outward leg is (primarily) operated by LNER?

Although the outward leg involves travelling with Hull Trains, not LNER.

 

[Cantab26]

Yes, but the outward leg is not in dispute as TrainSplit has booked a single ticket.

This was not readily apparent from your original post, hence why the confusion has arisen.

 

[Mojo]

Although the outward leg involves travelling with Hull Trains, not LNER.

No, the outward leg is on LNER, but I haven’t mentioned the journey details as it is irrelevant.

I’m pleased to say, LNER have almost sorted it following escalation. However they have firstly booked assistance for today (15 May), not the date of travel. They have then booked us onto the wrong train. Absolute clowns the lot of them.

 

[Haywain]

No, the outward leg is on LNER, but I haven’t mentioned the journey details as it is irrelevant.

Is the "outward leg" from Scunthorpe to London, using LNER from Doncaster?