Nuneham situation, tricky one...

[trainophile]

I'd completely forgotten that I'd bought Advance tickets for a friend (and her friend) ages ago, Hereford to Paddington (split at Oxford), for outbound May 4th, returning May 5th. Have just had an email from Trainsplit regarding the cancellations of the Oxford-Paddington legs on these dates.

The detail on the email reads:

If you still wish to travel:

​

• You do not need to purchase additional tickets to complete your journey.
• Take the next available service which matches the route and operator restrictions on your ticket(s).
• *If there isn't a service available matching the route or operator restrictions on your ticket(s), please contact a member of staff at the station or onboard at the earliest opportunity as local arrangements may affect which services you are entitled to travel on.
• Your trip may become affected by further service changes or reinstatements at short notice. Please check the timetable on the day of travel using the 'details' links displayed in your itinerary below.

My understanding was that we could rock up with our existing tickets and travel by any reasonable route while the disruption is on. I have tickets myself for the following week and was intending to use WMT to Birmingham and Avanti to Euston, as per the original information that I read about this situation (can't remember where, might have been one of the many threads on here).

Before I inform my friend, who isn't terribly confident with ticketing matters hence me buying the tickets at her request, can I suggest she just boards suitable WMT/AWC/LNR trains and travels to Euston, or does she really have to seek out station/onboard staff to ask on the day, and risk being refused travel and stuck? I think they'll be okay at Hereford but anything could happen at Birmingham and London.

Could they use their existing tickets via Newport? Currently tickets for their dates and times are horrendously more expensive on that route than what they paid for their original itinerary. Also it's a bit unfair expecting them to wait until the day of travel to confirm whether or not these trains will run, as we are pretty certain they won't reopen the line until at least June.

Also the Hereford to Oxford tickets are for trains that are still running, but these are obviously no longer required. As they contribute to the overall journey would I have to cancel everything and re-book in order to get these refunded, or would they count as part of the alternative arrangements?

 

[jfollows]

See https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/today.aspx: (my bold)

Alternative travel options:

Limited rail replacement transport is in operation between Didcot Parkway and Oxford. Some buses will run direct between the 2 stations and some will call at Appleford, Culham and Radley. Rail replacement buses are likely to be very busy and customers should expect significant delays to their journey.

To assist with your journey, you may use your ticket on the following at no extra cost:

• Avanti West Coast via any reasonable route
• Chiltern Railways via any reasonable route (please note, Chiltern Railways services to and from Oxford will be extremely busy)
• London Underground via any reasonable route
• Oxford Bus Company route 35 between Oxford and Abingdon
• Stagecoach Buses routes S3, S6 and S7 between Charlbury, Hanborough, Swindon and Oxford
• Thames Travel route X2 and X32 between Didcot and Oxford
• Transport for Wales between Newport and Hereford, where you can change for a GWR service to London Paddington
• West Midlands Railway via any reasonable route

Customers planning to travel between Oxford and London may find it more convenient to start their journey at Didcot Parkway.

Customers travelling between London Paddington and Oxford / North Cotswolds will need to change at Didcot Parkway or Oxford for a non-stop replacement bus service, adding about 45 minutes to journey times. Please note, a road closure near to Oxford station which may increase the journey time depending on traffic conditions.

Customers from Hanborough and the wider Oxford area (Radley, Culham, Appleford) are advised to consider travelling to Didcot by road and using the multi-storey car park.

Customers travelling between Worcestershire Parkway / Pershore / Evesham and London should consider travelling via Bristol Parkway or Birmingham.

Customers travelling between Honeybourne / Combe and London should travel via Oxford for connecting services.

Your trip via Birmingham using WMT and Avanti is also fine as long as you can define it as a "reasonable route".

 

[30907]

I must say I would be inclined to travel via Newport, as that option is specifically listed, but either way (or via Chiltern from Oxford) is valid.
The fact that fares that way are now higher isn't relevant as they have valid tickets.
It would make sense to travel at a similar time (departure or arrival) to the original.

 

[trainophile]

I'm pretty sure they would want to avoid the bus replacements (don't we all ) so I think Birmingham or Newport would be the best bet, but knowing the problems occasionally encountered with Euston gateline staff I don't want them to have any difficulties.

Oh thank you @30907 , I'd hoped Newport might be an acceptable option. I'm sure they would want to travel around the same times of day as they only have a short time in London.

 

[30907]

I'm pretty sure they would want to avoid the bus replacements (don't we all ) so I think Birmingham or Newport would be the best bet, but knowing the problems occasionally encountered with Euston gateline staff I don't want them to have any difficulties.

Oh thank you @30907 , I'd hoped Newport might be an acceptable option. I'm sure they would want to travel around the same times of day as they only have a short time in London.

Upthread there are positive comments about Euston!

 

[Adam Williams]

The service disruption emails sent are generic and do not know any context about the ticket acceptance arrangements which are in place (but not published in any sort of machine-readable manner)

 

[trainophile]

As a result of further investigation I'm now tempted to change my own plans for the following week and go via Newport. It's only the HFD-NWP leg that might be queried as once there I'd be on GWR anyway.

 

[Falcon1200]

Also the Hereford to Oxford tickets are for trains that are still running, but these are obviously no longer required.

If it is still running, would it not be simpler to take the Hereford train to Oxford and change there for Chiltern to Marylebone?

 

[trainophile]

If it is still running, would it not be simpler to take the Hereford train to Oxford and change there for Chiltern to Marylebone?

Yes I suppose for a confident traveller that would be one option. Personally I'm anxious enough (talking about my own trip now) about getting from Paddington or Euston to Charing Cross, without adding in a complication of starting from Marylebone. Bearing in mind I have a timed connection from Charing Cross and no idea of finding my way by Tube until I get there!

 

[Hadders]

The Bakerloo Line provides a direct line between Marylebone and Charing Cross.

 

[Haywain]

The Bakerloo Line provides a direct line between Marylebone and Charing Cross.

As it does from Paddington to Charing Cross, and as the Northern line does from Euston.

 

[Falcon1200]

As it does from Paddington to Charing Cross, and as the Northern line does from Euston.

Yes, however I would suggest that for a traveller unfamiliar with London or the Tube, Marylebone would be an easier place to change, being a much smaller station than Paddington or Euston, and having only one Tube line.

 

[trainophile]

All noted, thanks everyone. Still learning re. the Underground system, but good to know there are direct services from wherever I might end up.

 

[Birmingham]

If it is still running, would it not be simpler to take the Hereford train to Oxford and change there for Chiltern to Marylebone?

Wouldn’t do that; the Chiltern line from Oxford to Marylebone will be crammed enough with travellers from Oxford and those from the more immediate area who don’t have other options. I’d use the perfectly good route via Newport which can often be faster than the direct trains via Oxford in normal times!

 

[Jimini]

Just to add for a bit of reassurance: I've done three journeys now with a ticket routed via. Reading but travelled via. Euston / Paddington, and I've had zero problems at either. My ticket even opened the barriers at Paddington without issue! The Euston gateline have been fine about it as well on all three occasions, two of which were peak Avanti trains (I had an off-peak ticket that's valid in the PM peak when travelling via. Reading).

 

[trainophile]

Just to add for a bit of reassurance: I've done three journeys now with a ticket routed via. Reading but travelled via. Euston / Paddington, and I've had zero problems at either. My ticket even opened the barriers at Paddington without issue! The Euston gateline have been fine about it as well on all three occasions, two of which were peak Avanti trains (I had an off-peak ticket that's valid in the PM peak when travelling via. Reading).

Thank you, that's great to hear.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Apr 2023 ==

When I arrive at Paddington, to get to the Bakerloo Line do I have to exit the main concourse up the escalator at the non-buffers end, and take that walkway past the taxi rank?

 

[Benjwri]

When I arrive at Paddington, to get to the Bakerloo Line do I have to exit the main concourse up the escalator at the non-buffers end, and take that walkway past the taxi rank?

No that’s for some of the above surface lines. The Bakerloo line is at the buffers end down the escalator immediately infront. It is well signposted.

 

[trainophile]

No that’s for some of the above surface lines. The Bakerloo line is at the buffers end down the escalator immediately infront. It is well signposted.

Thank you, that's going to save me swanning around and getting lost!

 

[jayah]

All noted, thanks everyone. Still learning re. the Underground system, but good to know there are direct services from wherever I might end up.

It is a very confusing station these days, with three different 'underground' stations in completely different parts of it. It must be easy to get off a train and go a long way before realising that you should have gone a long way in a completely different direction.