Can I claim delay repay for this?

[Tomp94]

I was travelling from Litchfield to Euston yesterday with my partner. We boarded the Sardine Express to Euston.
I got on the train, we were crammed in like Sardines. It was like a 3rd world service - the only difference was that people were not sitting on the roof.
The train guard did apologise for the busyness and he said he'd advised the control room just how busy the train was. I think it was at Nuneaton not everyone could board the train.
We ended up getting off at Rugby because we could not stand (literally) like Sardines all the way to London, and my partner was beginning to feel a bit sick.
We got a slower train with plenty of seats to Euston, arriving 45 minutes later than planned.

My question is, can we claim delay repay for this?

Another question: I've made this journey a few times now, and the trains have always been packed. Surely one train per hour Euston-Crewe isn't sufficient! Does anyone know if LNWR and DfT are looking at solutions?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not Delay Repay unless you were refused boarding by staff, physically couldn't board, or were requested to alight, but you could appeal to customer services for a discretionary payment.

These trains are in the process of transitioning to 10 car 730/2 formations which have much more capacity.

 

[Watershed]

Unfortunately you are unlikely to be able to claim Delay Repay where you were physically able to fit on the train, but chose to leave it. I can completely sympathise with your situation, having been in it before on previous journeys. However it is not something that Delay Repay is there to compensate for - that would only apply if you were physically unable to board.

Nevertheless there is no harm in submitting a complaint to WMT about the overcrowding. There is a possibility they might pay you some compensation - it likely won't be as much as the Delay Repay you'd get, but it could make up for it in a small way.

And yes, totally agree that the Trent Valley service needs to be increased to half-hourly as well as increased to 12 coaches (or 10 coaches if formed of the new class 730 trains where each coach is longer). Lengthening the individual trains is feasible and indeed it's already booked to happen on many Saturday services as I understand it. The class 730s are gradually being rolled out although I would expect WMT to take the "cheap" option of running most services as 5 coaches rather than doubling them all up to 10...

It is worth noting, of course, that several of the platforms in the Trent Valley (particularly Rugeley and Atherstone) are short so not all passengers can benefit from the lengthening. Increasing the frequency would depend on a timetable change since I don't think the current timetable structure works with an additional Trent Valley service at the opposite half-hour to the current one. I wouldn't hold out high hopes of this happening anytime soon.

The DfT - ever keen to cut subsidies - would probably view this as a problem that can be "solved" under the guise of "fares simplification" by removing the cheap WMT-only walk-up fares, leaving only a small allocation of Advances on the quieter services. So be careful what you wish for..

 

[Tester]

Interestingly, the LNR delay repay form specifically has a 'Train too busy to board' type of delay option, which is clearly subjective.

I would suggest that you claim, and if rejected, LNR are, in my experience, very good at dealing with matters - by phone with a helpful human. Be honest, and see what happens.