Bus replacement issues - Needed to take a taxi instead

[Tanicka]

Hi,

I was travelling to the airport yesterday, and there was a bus replacement service (Crosscountry). As the bus was already full, it left without taking me and a couple of other passengers in. With the next bus, I would have only one hour left at the airport (I had checked in luggage with me as well), so I ended up taking a taxi and paying £ 75. Do you know how to try to claim a refund for the taxi? I was looking at their website, but they seem to have a claim form for tickets only. Do you think I have a chance of getting a refund?

Many thanks!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Tanicka. Welcome to the forum. Did you already have a rail ticket for the journey to the Airport (= Stansted, presumably)?

 

[Tanicka]

Yes, I bought the ticket the day before. I selected a particular bus, but it was valid for the whole day

 

[Haywain]

Yes, I bought the ticket the day before. I selected a particular bus, but it was valid for the whole day

Please give some more detail of your journey (which airport, and where from) so that we can better understand the situation and give advice.

 

[30907]

You can claim back the cost of your ticket anyway, but in the circumstances I would insist on their refunding the taxi fare.

 

[Tanicka]

Please give some more detail of your journey (which airport, and where from) so that we can better understand the situation and give advice.

From Cambridge to Stansted. The bus should have taken 50 minutes, leaving me 2 hours at the airport. With the next one leaving in an hour, I would be left with only 1 hour.

 

[Haywain]

From Cambridge to Stansted. The bus should have taken 50 minutes, leaving me 2 hours at the airport. With the next one leaving in an hour, I would be left with only 1 hour.

That was the whole journey?

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi,

I was travelling to the airport yesterday, and there was a bus replacement service (Crosscountry). As the bus was already full, it left without taking me and a couple of other passengers in. With the next bus, I would have only one hour left at the airport (I had checked in luggage with me as well), so I ended up taking a taxi and paying £ 75. Do you know how to try to claim a refund for the taxi? I was looking at their website, but they seem to have a claim form for tickets only. Do you think I have a chance of getting a refund?

Many thanks!

When it was clear that you would not be able to get on the bus at the time expected/ booked, did you ask any railway staff at Cambridge station what you should do to get to the airport in time?

Or did you decide yourself to get a taxi and just take one from the taxi rank at the railway station?

 

[tatitiliti]

Hi,

I was travelling to the airport yesterday, and there was a bus replacement service (Crosscountry). As the bus was already full, it left without taking me and a couple of other passengers in. With the next bus, I would have only one hour left at the airport (I had checked in luggage with me as well), so I ended up taking a taxi and paying £ 75. Do you know how to try to claim a refund for the taxi? I was looking at their website, but they seem to have a claim form for tickets only. Do you think I have a chance of getting a refund?

Many thanks!

It’s worth trying, but I think you’ll be unlikely to get compensation for the cost of the taxi. A full refund for the ticket on the basis of an abandoned journey due is probably the best you’ll do. It’s not the last service of the day that was cancelled and there was alternative transport available, just an hour later.

 

[WesternLancer]

I was looking at their website, but they seem to have a claim form for tickets only. Do you think I have a chance of getting a refund?

Many thanks!

If you want to write to them to claim the cost of the taxi fare then I think you would have to do that via Customer Services (as opposed to the part of their website where you claim for ticket refunds - which I don't think will work as you are not seeking a ticket refund) - including your written request, reasons and receipt for the taxi fare that you paid

You could try doing that though this page (which allows you to upload documents eg the receipts)

General Train Enquiries | Get in Touch | CrossCountry

For any questions or general enquiries about CrossCountry or your journey, contact us here. Travel with CrossCountry for cheap train tickets & no booking fees.

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

You should explain briefly what happened, why you had no alternative but to get a taxi due to your flight check in time etc

If you post a draft of what you want to say in your explanation here people will help check your wording if that will be of help to you in terms of getting the request as good as it can be.

 

[Titfield]

What makes you think that the rail replacement buses were only running hourly? In my experience of rail replacement buses, given the capacity and loading issues, they run buses quite frequently.

 

[Haywain]

What makes you think that the rail replacement buses were only running hourly? In my experience of rail replacement buses, given the capacity and loading issues, they run buses quite frequently.

They were timetabled to run hourly. While I think the OP should have immediately spoken to railways staff, I think it was reasonable to assume that the next bus wouldn’t be along earlier.

 

[gray1404]

I would certainly cite the Consumer Rights Act here as well as they have failed to run the service with reasonable care and skill. It is not acceptable that they are not providing enough capacity on rail replacement bus services quite honestly.

 

[Haywain]

I would certainly cite the Consumer Rights Act here as well as they have failed to run the service with reasonable care and skill. It is not acceptable that they are not providing enough capacity on rail replacement bus services quite honestly.

I think your jumping ahead some way here. We need more information from the OP.

 

[gerjomarty]

I was on one of the hourly buses on Saturday going from Stansted Airport to Cambridge, and personally witnessed someone showing up before the bus' departure time, and be told by the CrossCountry reps that both of the two buses operating the service were full and that they would need to take the next one, an hour later. So this certainly wasn't an isolated incident.

 

[LAX54]

I guess the other thing would be was it a domestic flight or International flight ?

 

[AlterEgo]

Never ever plan to get anywhere on time if relying on rail replacement buses. Do let us know how you get on with the claim.

 

[John R]

I guess the other thing would be was it a domestic flight or International flight ?

Why does that matter? Arrival at one hour before with bags to check in would be cutting it too fine either way, even if the bus was bang on time.

I would agree with @AlterEgo though that simply from managing one’s stress levels, relying on a rail replacement bus to get you to an airport on time with no margin for delay is probably not a good idea.

 

[Falcon1200]

When a bus replacement cannot accommodate all passengers and there is a long wait for the next bus, it should be automatic for the Train Operator to provide alternative transport.

 

[AlterEgo]

When a bus replacement cannot accommodate all passengers and there is a long wait for the next bus, it should be automatic for the Train Operator to provide alternative transport.

Yes but how would you magic up another bus in an hour?

 

[Falcon1200]

Yes but how would you magic up another bus in an hour?

Why would a bus be required if, as per the OP, a taxi would suffice?!!

 

[Haywain]

Why would a bus be required if, as per the OP, a taxi would suffice?!!

The OP said other passengers were also left behind.

 

[Falcon1200]

The OP said other passengers were also left behind.

Perhaps their journeys were not as time-critical - Would they be entitled to Delay Repay from travelling an hour later than planned?!! Assuming of course that the next bus had seats for everyone....

I would amend my Post #19 to say 'alternative transport for those with connections which would otherwise be missed'.

 

[AlterEgo]

Perhaps their journeys were not as time-critical - Would they be entitled to Delay Repay from travelling an hour later than planned?!! Assuming of course that the next bus had seats for everyone....

I would amend my Post #19 to say 'alternative transport for those with connections which would otherwise be missed'.

But the OP wasn't missing a connection to another service. They were going to an airport which is no different to making any other event they needed to be on time for.

 

[exile]

I <never> cut things this fine when trying to catch a flight. For example, if any leg of the journey only runs once an hour, I'd leave an hour earlier than would get me to the airport 2 hours before the flight (assuming the airport recommends you arrive this early). It's not at all unusual, unfortunately, to turn up for an hourly service and find the next one is cancelled. Train companies do offer delay repay but I'd be astonished if they would offer any payment for consequential loss, which is what this is in effect.

 

[WesternLancer]

I <never> cut things this fine when trying to catch a flight. For example, if any leg of the journey only runs once an hour, I'd leave an hour earlier than would get me to the airport 2 hours before the flight (assuming the airport recommends you arrive this early). It's not at all unusual, unfortunately, to turn up for an hourly service and find the next one is cancelled. Train companies do offer delay repay but I'd be astonished if they would offer any payment for consequential loss, which is what this is in effect.

the taxi cost may be a claim under any travel insurance for failure of public transport. Though I fear a policy excess might mean not much of the taxi cost would be refunded from a claim.

 

[John R]

I <never> cut things this fine when trying to catch a flight. For example, if any leg of the journey only runs once an hour, I'd leave an hour earlier than would get me to the airport 2 hours before the flight (assuming the airport recommends you arrive this early). It's not at all unusual, unfortunately, to turn up for an hourly service and find the next one is cancelled. Train companies do offer delay repay but I'd be astonished if they would offer any payment for consequential loss, which is what this is in effect.

Indeed. We came very close to missing a Eurostar as our train was held at Swindon for an hour due to a fatality. Which I always remind Mrs R when she complains that we arrive at the airport an hour early with everything having gone to schedule.

 

[gray1404]

I would seriously cite the Consumer Rights Act on this one. The railway company failed to provide the service of reasonable care and skill as they failed to provide adequate capacity.

 

[Falcon1200]

But the OP wasn't missing a connection to another service.

So a taxi should have been provided but only if the passenger was connecting to another train?

 

[Snow1964]

They were timetabled to run hourly. While I think the OP should have immediately spoken to railways staff, I think it was reasonable to assume that the next bus wouldn’t be along earlier.

To be fair to the Op, it sounds like bus was full, so it should have been obvious to the railway staff that some passengers couldn't get on.

So really railway staff should have spoken to those that couldn't get on, not the passengers having to instigate a conversation.

Cambridge has plenty of staff and would of thought at least one was monitoring the replacement bus stop. I don't want to suggest staff were lazy or not being proactive, but clearly the passengers who couldn't get on were not advised what to do.