GA back to Harlow Town.

[Richard1960]

Funny journey back from Cambridge tonight ,the 8.04 train Cambridge North to LST except it left from Cambridge platform 3 and not Cambridge North ,36 mins late ,due to cut stops out but due to stop at Audley End,Bishops Stortford ,Sawbrigeworth Harlow town ect.

Except just before it left Bishops Stortford they announced it would not stop until Tottenham hale .

Thereby missing my last bus home from Harlow ,after an argument they paid for a cab .

Just how do they get away with altering a train stopping pattern when its already left.

 

[Hadders]

The 2004 from Cambridge called at Bishops Stortford at 2032.

If you were aware of the non-stop at Harlow Town before the call at Bishops Stortford then you could've alighted and caught the 2047 from Bishops Stortford to Stratford which called at Harlow Town at 2059, which would've been a delay of 19 minutes.

 

[causton]

Just how do they get away with altering a train stopping pattern when its already left.

Depending on the TOC, they will either use a paper Special Stop Order / Not to Call Order pad which will be given to the driver (and conductor where applicable) or in other circumstances a conductor (if the service has one) can be called direct by the control and asked to amend the stopping pattern - or if the service is DOO maybe the signaller will contact the driver where appropriate. When confirmed they will then amend it through the relevant systems including JourneyCheck/TyrellCheck to amend Darwin which feeds pretty much all the customer and staff information screens at stations, online, on apps etc.

 

[Richard1960]

Depending on the TOC, they will either use a paper Special Stop Order / Not to Call Order pad which will be given to the driver (and conductor where applicable) or in other circumstances a conductor (if the service has one) can be called direct by the control and asked to amend the stopping pattern - or if the service is DOO maybe the signaller will contact the driver where appropriate. When confirmed they will then amend it through the relevant systems including JourneyCheck/TyrellCheck to amend Darwin which feeds pretty much all the customer and staff information screens at stations, online, on apps etc.

Sorry got the times a bit wrong the train was supposed to leave Cambridge North at 20.56 but left Cambridge platform 3 36 mins late due to a points failure, we were told when we got on the train would not be stopping until Audley End,then it would stop at Bishops Stortford , Sawbridgeworth Harlow Town , it was not until we got to Bishops Stortford that the driver announced they would not be stopping until Tottenham Hale.!

Therefore I would have missed the bus (the last one) I needed to get to get me home in Harlow at Sawbrigeworrth .

Even the GA contact centre did say to me today it still shows on the system as having stopped at Sawbridgeworth ,Harlow ect .!

 

[Hadders]

Looking at Real Time Trains it seems you caught the 2021 Cambridge to Liverpool Street service which departed 35 minutes late at 2056. This was due to call at Harlow Town at 2109.

The train called at Bishops Stortford at 2125 but then ran fast to Tottenham Hale (RTT shows not stopping at the intermediate stations).
You could then have caught the 2147 from Bishops Stortford which arrived at Harlow Town at 2157.

This would've been a 48 minute delay to your journey and you're entitled to claim delay repay for this. The railway isn't normally responsible if you miss onward transport by another method. Could you have got a train to Sawbridgeworth?

 

[Richard1960]

Looking at Real Time Trains it seems you caught the 2021 Cambridge to Liverpool Street service which departed 35 minutes late at 2056. This was due to call at Harlow Town at 2109.

The train called at Bishops Stortford at 2125 but then ran fast to Tottenham Hale (RTT shows not stopping at the intermediate stations).
You could then have caught the 2147 from Bishops Stortford which arrived at Harlow Town at 2157.

This would've been a 48 minute delay to your journey and you're entitled to claim delay repay for this. The railway isn't normally responsible if you miss onward transport by another method. Could you have got a train to Sawbridgeworth?

I could of done it left later ,which meant I would have missed the last bus to where I live in the window.

I would like however to thank the GA employee who got me a cab so its not all bad ,GA do have some very good staff working for them.

Thanks for your reply, at least I did get home.

 

[3141]

The 2004 from Cambridge called at Bishops Stortford at 2032.

If you were aware of the non-stop at Harlow Town before the call at Bishops Stortford then you could've alighted and caught the 2047 from Bishops Stortford to Stratford which called at Harlow Town at 2059, which would've been a delay of 19 minutes.

There are (at least) two questions that would be important for most passengers. One is when they announced that the train wouldn't be stopping at Harlow - before or after it got to Bishops Stortford. The second is whether they announced that passengers who wanted stations after Bishops Stortford could change there to another train that would be stopping at those places.

The OP says the announcement was "just before" it left Bishops Stortford. If so, it sounds as if he had very little time to decide whether to stay on board, or get out without knowing what alternative train might be available to get him to Harlow.

It's not reasonable to expect passengers to look up train timetables or RTT en route to find out what alternative travel arrangements they might make. The member of staff on the spot should announce this information so that everyone who needs it will hear it, and in time to make a decision to change their plans.

It sounds as if the GA member of staff was sensible enough to respond to the actual circumstances of the passenger in this case, rather than relying on the rules to be of no help at all.