Wrong advance train - no recourse?

[hirtenstar]

I had a ticket for Leeds to London Kings cross at 11:15 and accidentally got on the 10:45 - I have a disability that can impair me cognitively and so I asked a station employee if that was an okay train to get with my ticket and I was assured it was - evidently, it wasn't. I had to buy a ticket on the train, unfortunately. Is there any recourse for this or am I just going to have to eat the cost?

 

[Titfield]

I do not think you have any recourse because of lack of proof that you were given authority to use an advance ticket on a train other than the one upon which it was valid for. Furthermore your account seems to me to be somewhat odd in that you boarded the "wrong train" but asked a station employee rather than a member of the on train crew. "Station employee" is a term which may or may not include a person who in the course of their employment had the authority to give such permission.

 

[furlong]

Well you were entitled to rely upon what you were told if it was a railway employee. Your difficulty is in proving it! Might there have been a misunderstanding about the question or response? You should always note the person's name badge when asking a question like this. Exactly where on the station? When? Description of the person? - You'll need to write to customer services with as much information like that as possible if you're sure something's gone wrong on the railway side here. Original ticket. New ticket. You can also try to ask for CCTV if you can narrow that down sufficiently to help them identify the person.

Did you try to sit in your reserved seat? Did you find any inconsistency with the reservation? Also tell there where you were sitting and roughly which door you boarded the train through if you can remember any of this.

 

[30907]

I do not think you have any recourse because of lack of proof that you were given authority to use an advance ticket on a train other than the one upon which it was valid for. Furthermore your account seems to me to be somewhat odd in that you boarded the "wrong train" but asked a station employee rather than a member of the on train crew. "Station employee" is a term which may or may not include a person who in the course of their employment had the authority to give such permission.

LNER train crew IME issue a warning before the train departs about which tickets aren't valid. It's a pity you missed this, but...

I agree you should be in touch with customer services to see if they will reimburse some of the cost as a goodwill gesture. If your disability means that you couldn't reasonably have found your train without assistance, that might be a further line of argument.

 

[furlong]

Also how soon on the journey did this happen? Was there an option to leave the train at the next station and wait for the one you were supposed to be on?

 

[Skymonster]

With all due respect, you “accidentally” got on the wrong train but you asked a member of staff if it was OK to use the train you did? By all means get back to the train company with this issue - because yes you should be entitled to rely on what ANY railway employee tells you - but the challenge will be proof of what was said to you (and what you actually said to them about your ticket), and you need to make sure your story makes total sense.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Also how soon on the journey did this happen? Was there an option to leave the train at the next station and wait for the one you were supposed to be on?

For what it's worth, both the 1045 and 1115 LNER departures from Leeds (to London Kings Cross) are booked to call at Wakefield Westgate and at Doncaster.

 

[island]

I had a ticket for Leeds to London Kings cross at 11:15 and accidentally got on the 10:45 - I have a disability that can impair me cognitively and so I asked a station employee if that was an okay train to get with my ticket and I was assured it was - evidently, it wasn't. I had to buy a ticket on the train, unfortunately. Is there any recourse for this or am I just going to have to eat the cost?

Unfortunately you're on a sticky wicket. Any legal claim you might make against LNER would only be tenable if you could prove that an authorised person – who you'd have to identify – gave you permission to join the train with an incorrect ticket. "The chap on the platform said it was fine" won't cut it.

Best bet is to write into LNER customer service explaining what happened and see if they might give you back some of what you paid, perhaps as a voucher.