Error at ticket office causing delay repay issue

[py_megapixel]

A relative recently tried to make a journey which would usually be doable by direct train, but on this occasion rail replacement buses were running for the first part of it. They purchased a ticket at the intermediate station where they changed from RRB to train. For the outbound journey, everything went fine, apart from the fact that the ticket office incorrectly issued a ticket starting at that intermediate station rather than their actual origin.

On the way back, though, they got to the same intermediate station and went to the RRB stop but no bus turned up, causing a substantial delay. It would be nice to claim Delay Repay for this, but I'm fairly sure the earlier mistake by the ticket office means we'll be unable to - as the ticket issued technically would not have been valid on the RRB in the first place.

Is there anything that can be done?

The TOC involved is GWR (who were responsible for the involved train, bus and ticket office), if it helps.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

A relative recently tried to make a journey which would usually be doable by direct train, but on this occasion rail replacement buses were running for the first part of it. They purchased a ticket at the intermediate station where they changed from RRB to train. For the outbound journey, everything went fine, apart from the fact that the ticket office incorrectly issued a ticket starting at that intermediate station rather than their actual origin.

On the way back, though, they got to the same intermediate station and went to the RRB stop but no bus turned up, causing a substantial delay. It would be nice to claim Delay Repay for this, but I'm fairly sure the earlier mistake by the ticket office means we'll be unable to - as the ticket issued technically would not have been valid on the RRB in the first place.

Is there anything that can be done?

The TOC involved is GWR (who were responsible for the involved train, bus and ticket office), if it helps.

So are you saying that on their return journey they intended to travel from the intermediate station to their origin (i.e. final destination) without a valid ticket?

 

[AlterEgo]

A relative recently tried to make a journey which would usually be doable by direct train, but on this occasion rail replacement buses were running for the first part of it. They purchased a ticket at the intermediate station where they changed from RRB to train. For the outbound journey, everything went fine, apart from the fact that the ticket office incorrectly issued a ticket starting at that intermediate station rather than their actual origin.

On the way back, though, they got to the same intermediate station and went to the RRB stop but no bus turned up, causing a substantial delay. It would be nice to claim Delay Repay for this, but I'm fairly sure the earlier mistake by the ticket office means we'll be unable to - as the ticket issued technically would not have been valid on the RRB in the first place.

Is there anything that can be done?

The TOC involved is GWR (who were responsible for the involved train, bus and ticket office), if it helps.

You can ask the train company for a gesture of goodwill, but it’s really up to the customer to check they have the right ticket. I’m not sure I’d want to write to a train company and as part of the complaint state I didn’t have a valid ticket, to be honest - regardless of how that came about.

 

[SuspectUsual]

How much did your relative save by being sold a shorter ticket than they actually needed? How does that compare to the delay repay they'd have got on the full ticket?

 

[island]

As no ticket was held for the delayed journey prior to the delay being incurred, DelayRepay wouldn’t be payable.

 

[Skymonster]

I think you’re on shakey ground with this one:

• Unless the origin had no ticket issuing facilities, travel on the RRB was without a ticket - a ticket is required to use a RRB
• Presumably less was paid to travel from the intermediate station than would have been paid from the origin, due to the shorter journey
• Passengers should always check their tickets have been issued correctly
• If a ticket was held only from the intermediate station to the destination, return travel on the RRB was effectively also ticketless

I think for a whole host of reasons, any delay repay due is best left unclaimed - effectively none is due anyway.

 

[py_megapixel]

Thanks all. The responses here basically align with what I already figured.

I don't believe ticketing facilities were available at the origin so buying at the intermediate station was correct. But I will pass on the advice about checking that the correct tickets have been issued when doing this.

The two stations involved are quite close together, so the difference in fare was quite small, certainly less than the DR that would have been.

 

[Haywain]

I think that it is quite possible that the clerk at the station thought they were doing a favour by selling a ticket for the rail element of the journey only. However, in doing so they would have both removed the right to Delay Repay compensation and the right to onward transport in the event of service disruption on the return journey.