Cross Country Strike - Ticket Acceptance

[tom3107]

Just wondering regarding the strike on XC this coming Saturday what people think the chances of ticket acceptance being agreed will be?

I have an advance single from Sheffield to Bristol Parkway (split at BHM) and absolutely have to travel after 1230pm.

Apart from the obvious alternative via London with EMR and GWR, there is also a connection at 1245 changing at Stockport, Birmingham New Street and Worcester Foregate Street.

What is the likelihood on my ticket being accepted on one of these alternatives? If, instead I am required to purchase a new ticket would XC be liable to reimburse me?

Thanks in advance for any replies, they'll help me with next steps.

 

[embers25]

Sheffield 1306
Nottingham a 1359 d 1417
Derby a 1443 d 1510
Birmingham New Street a 1555 d 1650
Worcester Foregate Street a 1733 d 1752
Bristol Parkway a 1915

Or there is a 1234 via East Mids Parkway to connect into the 1510

 

[Watershed]

Ticket acceptance is often agreed at the last minute, so the fact nothing is published yet doesn't mean there won't be acceptance.

If you have XC only tickets (e.g. Advances) and there are no XC services that would allow you to complete your journey that day, any other train company in a position to assist must do so under NRCoT condition 28.2. That assistance would almost certainly require them to accept your ticket notwithstanding the lack of formal acceptance.

XC would also be obliged to arrange acceptance, or issue you with a free replacement ticket valid on other TOCs, under that condition. Similarly under Article 16 of the PRO.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Ticket acceptance is often agreed at the last minute, so the fact nothing is published yet doesn't mean there won't be acceptance.

It's also worth noting that ticket acceptance during periods of Industrial Action isn't widely advertised. You tend to have to contact the affected TOC directly to ask if it's in place.

 

[TUC]

Ticket acceptance is often agreed at the last minute, so the fact nothing is published yet doesn't mean there won't be acceptance.

It's also worth noting that ticket acceptance during periods of Industrial Action isn't widely advertised. You tend to have to contact the affected TOC directly to ask if it's in place.

What a passenger unfriendly approach. A first priority of TOC during such disruption should be to give passengers easy to access information at as an early a stage as possible. What do TOCs expect passengers to do? Wait until the last minute before deciding whether to travel and put as least pressure on TOCs as possible in expecting them to communicate better?

 

[CyrusWuff]

What a passenger unfriendly approach. A first priority of TOC during such disruption should be to give passengers easy to access information at as an early a stage as possible. What do TOCs expect passengers to do? Wait until the last minute before deciding whether to travel and put as least pressure on TOCs as possible in expecting them to communicate better?

Essentially, yes. TOCs simply don't have spare capacity to absorb displaced CrossCountry passengers in addition to their own particularly at weekends.

So the industry essentially tries to force people to travel on unaffected days by making taking alternative routes as unpleasant and difficult as possible.

 

[TUC]

Essentially, yes. TOCs simply don't have spare capacity to absorb displaced CrossCountry passengers in addition to their own particularly at weekends.

My point is that if that is true about this weekend now, in what way does it become magically possible to agree arrangements at the last minute on Friday?

 

[Watershed]

What a passenger unfriendly approach. A first priority of TOC during such disruption should be to give passengers easy to access information at as an early a stage as possible.

I completely agree, it's a crazy way to run a railway. Unfortunately the internecine squabbling between TOCs continues even though they all contribute to the same bottom line. Some of the things that go on behind the scenes have to be seen to be believed.

What do TOCs expect passengers to do? Wait until the last minute before deciding whether to travel and put as least pressure on TOCs as possible in expecting them to communicate better?

Ideally, XC would quite like everyone who was booked to travel on a strike day to toddle off and get a refund. Failing that, they'd like them to travel on another day.

There is a perception within many TOCs, even at the upper echelons, that as long as some alternative has been provided (e.g. travel on other days or a refund) then customers have no right to insist on travelling on their booked date. That is partly what leads to this kind of outcome - it is seen as an "edge case" not worthy of much consideration.

One reason that any agreed ticket acceptance is usually announced as late as possible (or not at all, just being circulated internally) is that once it's announced, it won't be rescinded even if the strike is cancelled. Many of these sorts of strikes end up getting resolved shortly before the day so there is a desire not to enable ticket acceptance if a strike doesn't end up happening.

Again, not something that would happen on any sensible railway, but when you look at it from the myopic viewpoint of the TOCs, it makes sense to them.

 

[TUC]

I completely agree, it's a crazy way to run a railway. Unfortunately the internecine squabbling between TOCs continues even though they all contribute to the same bottom line. Some of the things that go on behind the scenes have to be seen to be believed.


Ideally, XC would quite like everyone who was booked to travel on a strike day to toddle off and get a refund. Failing that, they'd like them to travel on another day.

There is a perception within many TOCs, even at the upper echelons, that as long as some alternative has been provided (e.g. travel on other days or a refund) then customers have no right to insist on travelling on their booked date. That is partly what leads to this kind of outcome - it is seen as an "edge case" not worthy of much consideration.

One reason that any agreed ticket acceptance is usually announced as late as possible (or not at all, just being circulated internally) is that once it's announced, it won't be rescinded even if the strike is cancelled. Many of these sorts of strikes end up getting resolved shortly before the day so there is a desire not to enable ticket acceptance if a strike doesn't end up happening.

Again, not something that would happen on any sensible railway, but when you look at it from the myopic viewpoint of the TOCs, it makes sense to them.

It sounds the kind of situation where ORR or DfT would play a useful role in setting a general requirement for ticket acceptance in such circumstances.

 

[Watershed]

It sounds the kind of situation where ORR or DfT would play a useful role in setting a general requirement for ticket acceptance in such circumstances.

I don't think the ORR has the jurisdiction to do that but yes, it's the kind of thing you'd expect the DfT to be hot on.