Megatrain tickets

[Jonesy]

Hi all,

I am hoping someone might be able to help with a query I have, or at least point me in the right direction.

My PA has booked me tickets to Glasgow Central tomorrow for a meeting I am having, through Megabus. I have done this journey before, leaving Crewe at 05:57 and returning on the 20:10 from Glasgow Central.

I have just gone to finalise all of the details and noticed that the West Coast Main Line is shut at Lamington until next week, and from what I can see replacement trains are operating via Dumfries.

I suppose I just wanted to check whether my ticket would still be valid on this route - I do not see why it would not be, but I know the tickets are incredibly cheap and wondered if they were specific to that service. Obviously this is curtailed at Carlisle and so I do not know what my options from there would be, should I be denied onward travel.

Also, my return train from Glasgow is booked for 20:10 but after looking I think I would have to catch the 17:10 to get to Carlisle in time to meet up with my connecting service. Again, does anyone know whether this will be OK?

Sorry for the long post; I did look at the various other threads but could not see one that was specific to Megabus/Megatrain with this diversion in place. I have also emailed Megabus but have not heard anything back thus far.

Thanks
Jonesy

 

[sheff1]

Megatrain tickets are issued for travel on Virgin Trains so, in my opinion, that should mean the Alternative Travel Arrangements for Virgin Trains in this link are the relevant ones: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/117252.aspx. The key extract is "Advance ticket restrictions have been relaxed for passengers travelling through the affected area. Virgin Trains are advising passengers to travel as close as possible to their booked services."

I could not see a 1710 departure from Glasgow to Carlisle tomorrow, but there is one at 1722. However, the advertised connection to get you into Crewe at your original arrival time of 2326 is the 1840 Bus from Glasgow.

Megabus are not renowned to their swift response to queries. You may be better off contacting Virgin Trains, but be brief and to the point, e.g. I have a ticket booked on the 2010 from Glasgow to Crewe, tomorrow. As this train is not running, can I use the ticket on the 1722 train, changing at Carlisle ?

 

[Bletchleyite]

FWIW there appears, at Edinburgh at least, to be absolutely no revenue protection going on whatsoever on the buses.

 

[LexyBoy]

Megabus are quite likely to say that your ticket has been cancelled due to the disruption, so hopefully you won't get a reply until after your journey.

I'd agree with the advice above - message Virgin stating that you have a ticket for the 2010, asking which service to use. I'd expect no problems though using any reasonable service.

 

[Jonesy]

Hi,

Just a quick note to thank you for all of the advice so far.

I may ask the wife to tweet Virgin later and see what they say.

Thanks again for all of your help.
Jonesy

 

[185143]

FWIW there appears, at Edinburgh at least, to be absolutely no revenue protection going on whatsoever on the buses.

On TPE last tuesday one of my fellow passengers attempted to travel from Edinburgh to Liverpool, using a timetable enquiry.

He was removed from the train at Carlisle as he made it very clear to the conductor that the scrap of paper he had was his ticket and he wasnt paying 'again'.

I bet the TOCs have lots hundreds in revenue

 

[class17]

I am on a coach. Glasgow to Carlisle with Megabus train ticket. Came up on the train this morning. I took the nearest times to my booked. No problems.

I heard trains back to normal from Monday.

 

[extendedpaul]

Megabus has recently tweeted that they will no longer be offering any Virgin Trains tickets.

They have not linked this to Lamington and there has been no availability between London and Birmingham for a while now.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Might be because they are "getting away" with Megatrain as a "temporary fare", are they not? As such a gap will need to be left. Wouldn't rule out them coming back.

 

[LexyBoy]

No, Megatrain is not a "temporary fare" in the sense described by the TSA.

Megatrain is not a member of ATOC and does not sell rail tickets. Megatrain sells tickets for a journey which it then contracts a TOC to carry the passenger for all or part of that journey - Megabus providing a coach for the remainder in the latter case. There is no "fare" set - the amount paid to the TOC is dealt with behind the scenes (and is probably an agreed monthly contract rather than a per-passenger payment). They are operating - as I understand it - in a bit of a grey area as they're effectively an agent to the TOC providing travel, but claim not to be bound by the obligations that an agent would have.

Exactly what Megatrain is - and how much they can wriggle out of the NRCoC - has been discussed before, and is unlikely to be determined definitively as they have always backed down if challenged, and most people won't bother over what's seen to be a very cheap offering.