Cancelling a train after an advanced ticket has been purchased

[Meridian richard]

Hi,

On the 4th May I was booked to travel from Cardiff to Sheffield on the 1855 Cardiff to Stockport Service - then changing onto a EMT service at Stockport.

I purchased the tickets early in March and after looking on Real-time Trains I have recently discovered that the service I am booked on no longer exists due to the work in the Cardiff area. I have received no email informing me of the changes either.

I cannot leave Cardiff until 6.30 earliest due to commitments, however it seems that there is no physical way of getting to Stockport for the last EMT connection to Sheffield?

Would travel be allowed on the 1841 Derby service with a change there for Sheffield?

It all seems very unorganised - what would have happened if I hadn’t checked RT trains and arrived at the station to find no possible way of getting back to Sheffield?

 

[Starmill]

If you arrive at the station and your service is cancelled, as in this case, you can speak to staff to see what they can do. They would either organise a different train for you or if there were none available, send you by road, or part way by train and then in a taxi. In an extreme case you may be offered overnight accommodation instead, though this is unlikely here. Delay compensation will apply in the normal way for the operator whose schedules have changed.

You may depart early if your booked service is cancelled too, if you wish to insist on the booked arrival time at your destination. As you do not wish to depart early it may be worth asking ATW by email or phone to what they would suggest.

You may also choose a full refund if you no longer wish to go.

 

[sonic2009]

I would ask ATW, but it may be worth trying to get to Stockport via Cwmbran (Bus Cardiff-Cwmbran), train the rest of the way, then it would be up to ATW to arrange alternative transport.

 

[Starmill]

Is there no way you could make the 1845 bus departure from Newport? If you could you would arrive at Manchester Piccadilly in time for the 2222 or 2228 services to Sheffield.

 

[Adlington]

If you arrive at the station and your service is cancelled, as in this case, you can speak to staff to see what they can do.

And if the station is unstaffed, permanently or at the time of my arrival??

 

[Starmill]

I would recommend asking the operator of the station?

 

[BlueFox]

Is there no way you could make the 1845 bus departure from Newport?

Do you mean the 1845 bus from Cardiff?

 

[Meridian richard]

After a few extremely long phone conversations with ATW and XC - XC have sent me a ‘Authority to Travel’ Document for their 1841 service (with a change in Birmingham for Sheffield).

This actually gets me back 1hr and 20 mins earlier than the Stockport route!

 

[Starmill]

Impressive! I am surprised you managed to get them to do that! Did ATW have to submit something to them for them to agree? Or did you just explain the situation and forward them your booking confirmation?

 

[Meridian richard]

Neither party were accepting responsibility (I booked on the XC website) or telling me which service I should use.

After about an hour of pestering XC on Twitter they caved and asked which of their services I would like to travel on.

Originally both ATW and XC were simply telling me to get a refund and boom another service!

 

[Starmill]

I have to say I am fairly impressed that you managed to get them to issue a Special Authority to Travel just for this. I would have expected both to dig their heels in to the point where they had to get you a taxi from Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield. However this is plainly a much better solution for both you and them so well done.

This is good for you because it means you won't be late, and good for them because it removes a strong likelihood that they would need to pay delay compensation or for a taxi.

 

[robbeech]

It’s almost like they’ve used some common sense and everyone is better off. I suggest they stop this frankly dangerous activity immediately or we may see positive outcomes and happy customers cropping up all over the place.