Booked service heavily delayed -advance/splits

[Zamracene749]

Hi, I've done a search regarding advance fares and disruptions, my questions are -

What are your options if your advance booked service is heavily delayed- BEFORE you board it? The CoC terms seem only to relate to during the the journey.

Many months ago, I was held up by around 120 minutes in the evening at York whilst waiting for my booked (Trans pennine) service to turn up. The disruption had occured somewhere in the Manchester area, a broken rail or somesuch. In the meantime, several trains from competing TOCs heading back to Durham arrived and departed, roughly on time. Also, a couple of severely delayed Transpennine services, also delayed by around 2 hours, arrived and departed after the scheduled time of my booked train.

As it happened, I was happy enough to sit in the York Tap and wait for my booked service but- had I been in a hurry- could I have boarded the late running TP services that turned up after my booked departure time but before my particular booked train? Or could I have reasonably asked to be carried home on eg a Cross country/East coast service? (I suspect not).

Also- what would happen if this was a journey involving a split somewhere on two advances? If the first of your trains is delayed to the extent that it would cause you to miss the 2nd booked train, but by catching an alternative service you could still reach the second booked train on time?

I know that if your train is held up whilst you are on it resulting in you missing a connection you can travel on the next available service by the valid TOC. But could you travel on a different service worked the same TOC for the first leg of a split jourey to allow you to complete the second leg 'by the book' as it were?

Also I know that a quick polite chat with staff during disruption reaps great rewards (thank you folks). Just wondered if these situations are covered in the Ts and Cs.

Hope this makes sense

 

[185143]

In reality a TPE guard would have no issue with you boarding a train around the time on your ticket in these circumstances.

 

[najaB]

Also- what would happen if this was a journey involving a split somewhere on two advances? If the first of your trains is delayed to the extent that it would cause you to miss the 2nd booked train, but by catching an alternative service you could still reach the second booked train on time?
...
Also I know that a quick polite chat with staff during disruption reaps great rewards (thank you folks). Just wondered if these situations are covered in the Ts and Cs.

As I see it: in short, no. Under the Advance ticket T&Cs you don't have an entitlement to travel on an earlier service regardless of if it's operated by the same or a different TOC.

As you say though, most staff are reasonable and will give you permission to travel on an earlier service if it is feasible since it will reduce the TOC's liability to delay repay (or passenger charter compensation).

yorkie will be along shortly to post the counter-argument.

 

[maniacmartin]

If your booked service is severely delayed you would normally be allowed to travel on the next appropriate train operated by the saer TOC, upon asking the guard or station staff. There are exceptions though - I've been denied travel before on a different service operated by the same TOC as my ticket, which resulted in being eligible for a delay repay claim for the full value of the ticket instead of arriving on time.