Cancelled train, on the previous one, connecting to earlier one allowed?

[trainophile]

Advance ticket Great Yarmouth to Peterborough. Booked on the 10:56 from Norwich which is cancelled, managed to make the 09:55.

Will arrive at Peterborough an hour early. Have onward Advance PBO to Birmingham New Street. Am I allowed to take an earlier departure from PBO or do I have to hang around there for an hour until my booked train?

 

[Haywain]

Am I allowed to take an earlier departure from PBO

Ask the guard on the earlier train.

 

[trainophile]

That’s what I planned to do, I just wondered what the official position is since they brought in the revised option of travelling earlier rather than just later when there’s a cancellation. Also finding the guard can be tricky.

 

[transportphoto]

Also finding the guard can be tricky.

For XC at Peterborough, they’ll be at the rear can almost without fail. Just be aware of a possible/probable crew change at Leicester which could complicate things.

I do not believe there is any official guidance for this scenario.

 

[trainophile]

Thank you both. It’s about time they did clarify the policy for this situation!

 

[Watershed]

That’s what I planned to do, I just wondered what the official position is since they brought in the revised option of travelling earlier rather than just later when there’s a cancellation. Also finding the guard can be tricky.

It's not explicitly spelled out how the new +/- 2 hours' ticket acceptance for cancellations works for unaffected earlier/later connecting services, let alone on split tickets. Arguably, it applies to all trains in the journey but to avoid any dispute it would be safest to check with the guard.

The guard on a CrossCountry Turbostar service will almost always be found in the rear cab of the last coach.

 

[trainophile]

Found the guard, lovely young chap, did the old sucking breath in then smiled and let us on . Great stuff, thanks everyone.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Feb 2025 ==

I suppose it depends how fully booked the train is, on some routes it probably wouldn’t be an option. Not that there’s seat reservations but it’s not rammed so he used his judgement.