Could I make a claim?

[OhNoAPacer]

On Sunday July 5th I set out to travel from Northampton to Whitehaven, my intended journey was the 10:08 Euston service, change at Milton Keynes for the 10:33 Glasgow service making a change at Carlisle for the 14:10 to Whitehaven.
The 10:08 was delayed, driver on delayed inbound service, we were still sitting there at the time we were due into MKC, so, with no chance at all of making my connection, I abandoned that attempt and caught a later service.
Had I carried on then having missed the Glasgow train, regardless of when the next service was to Carlisle (without checking I suspect it would have been either 11:13 or 11:30ish) my next service to Whitehaven was not until 17:10. Obviously carrying on would have seen me able to claim for a delay, but as I abandoned, or rather postponed, my journey, would it still be possible to make a claim based on the fact that regardless of my carrying on the journey or staying to enjoy the delights of Northampton and getting a later train my arrival time at Whitehaven would still have been 18:20 as opposed to 15:20.

 

[causton]

Officially I don't think so, but as LM have prepaid delay repay envelopes, what do you have to lose? Fill out the form saying the same as what you said here and you might get something! (I think if you try to send it off online you won't be able to explain the situation properly)

 

[yorkie]

I'm confused, what did you do exactly?

I think if you explain concisely what you planned to do, what delay occured and what you did do in reality, there is a possibility they will show discretion.

 

[gray1404]

Sounds to me like you intended to catch the 10.08. You turned up to the station and discovered that service was delayed. You then decided not to travel at that time so you didn't travel and went home (or where ever). You then returned to the station later on in the day and caught a later departure which I assume ran on time.

Have I understood you correctly here?

Your question is if you had have stayed on the 10.08 and still travelled, with your missed connections, you would have been 3 hours late. Therefore, can you claim delay repay for this?

 

[najaB]

Personally, I wouldn't claim as the journey you *actually* made wasn't delayed. Had you abandoned the journey entirely due to the delayed 10.08 then you would be entitled to a refund.

 

[Tetchytyke]

If you waited at home rather than in Carlisle, but still travelled that day, then I'd still consider you to be delayed.

If you had a walk up ticket it may be harder to make the argument though.

 

[IanD]

We've had similar queries on here before and people have been applauded for staying at home/in the office/in the pub if they see on-line that their train has been delayed yet still claiming delay repay - despite not being at the station at the time their service was scheduled to depart.

In this case, it sounds as if the OP actually bothered to turn up at the station and then found that there was a delay. The fact that they chose to spend the length of the delay in the comfort of their own home/a grotty pub in Northampton rather than on a draughty Carlisle station seems irrelevant to me. I'd put a claim in and expect a full refund and more.

 

[sheff1]

You can always make a claim. Whether a claim is going to be accepted or rejected is another question entirely which I don't think anyone on here can answer for you.

If you had continued to Carlisle at the earliest opportunity then I would have expected a taxi to be provided which would have got you to Whitehaven well before 1820 but certainly more than 30 mins after the originally planned arrival time of 1520. So clearly a Delay Repay claim should be met in those circumstances. The fact that you preferred to reschedule your journey and catch the train due in at 1820 (which I assume was on time) makes things less clear.

 

[IanD]

You can always make a claim. Whether a claim is going to be accepted or rejected is another question entirely which I don't think anyone on here can answer for you.

If you had continued to Carlisle at the earliest opportunity then I would have expected a taxi to be provided which would have got you to Whitehaven well before 1820 but certainly more than 30 mins after the originally planned arrival time of 1520. So clearly a Delay Repay claim should be met in those circumstances. The fact that you preferred to reschedule your journey and catch the train due in at 1820 (which I assume was on time) makes things less clear.

The delay was LMs fault. I have emailed them in the past and they have said that you can claim and they will pay delay repay even if you decide to postpone your plans and not even turn up at the station for your planned train. Opens them up to loads of dodgy claims but if that's the way they want to do it...

 

[sheff1]

The delay was LMs fault. I have emailed them in the past and they have said that you can claim and they will pay delay repay even if you decide to postpone your plans and not even turn up at the station for your planned train. Opens them up to loads of dodgy claims but if that's the way they want to do it...

Fair enough. Will be interesting to see if they adopt that line here.

 

[bb21]

When did you purchase your ticket?

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Thank you to those who have replied.
Just to clarify the events of Sunday.
First of all, for those not in the know the Sunday Carlisle to Whitehaven service is somewhat sparse, the only trains are 14:10, 17:10, 19:10 & 21:10.
I was returning from Northampton to Whitehaven using the homeward portion of an off peak return.
Intended journey was:
10:08 Northampton arrive Milton Keynes 10:23
10:33 Milton Keynes arrive Carlisle 13:49
14:10 Carlisle arrive Whitehaven 15:20
I was actually sitting on the 10:08, when at ~10:12 the guard announced that the service was delayed as they were waiting for a driver who was on a delayed inbound service. At ~10:20 I decided to get off the train and then wait until the 12:50 service (actually I decided to play it safe and got the 12:26), changing at MK and Carlisle again and arriving Whitehaven 18:20.
Obviously had I stayed on the 10:08, which departed at 10:30 then I would missed my MK connection and hence my 14:10 train. In this case, whether staff at Carlisle would have been interested in my woes caused by London Midland is a moot point, but I clearly could have claimed for a delay.
My question is that having decided that I was better off in Northampton than taking my chances at Carlisle, can I still claim for the delayed journey?

 

[bb21]

Yeah I agree that you should have a case. I don't think the rules are that clear cut but there is no harm trying, as long as you explain clearly what you did.

 

[gray1404]

I think the London Midland online Delay Repay form is simple. You just need to put your name, address, email, single or return ticket, cost, station from, station to, date and time of travel followed by length of delay. of course a photo of the ticket too.

That should be straight forward. So you'd just basically insert 10.08 and delay of 120+ minutes and thats it. It doesn't ask for any further detail then that and given your starting travel at 10.08 was the delayed train then it should be very straight forward.

Once they've generated your reference number too you can get in touch asking them to send a cheque rather then RTVs if the value of your compensation is going to be £30 or more when it comes to LM.

 

[najaB]

Thank you to those who have replied.
Just to clarify the events of Sunday....

My question is that having decided that I was better off in Northampton than taking my chances at Carlisle, can I still claim for the delayed journey?

With that explanation I take back my previous advice and say that yes, you are entitled to claim, and shame on LM if they don't pay out!