Reading another thread about someone getting on the wrong train, reminded me of an incident a couple of years ago. Everything turned out well, but I wondered whether anyone knows what the actual guidance to staff is ?
At very short notice I needed to travel Sheffield to Derby on a Saturday. Normally I would always check for engineering works, but did not have time. A London train was about to depart as I reached the station so I jumped on and validated my Derbyshire Wayfarer (of which I always have a stock at home).
No announcements were made upon departure, but I looked at the scrolling screen and the normal Chesterfield, Derby & Leicester stops were shown.
After leaving Chesterfield we turned left. I thought nothing of this as you can get to Derby that way. However, at Trent we went straight on. Concerned that I would end up in Leicester, I started to move forward to find the guard but before I had reached him an announcement came that we were about to stop at East Mids Parkway (this makes me think that the lack of announcements earlier was due to speaker fault in the coach I was in). The scrolling screen still said next stop Derby.
I alighted at Parkway to be met by a manual ticket check line. I showed my Derbyshire Wayfarer (which isn't normally valid there) and said I was trying to get to Derby and was directed to a waiting bus. When I got home in the evening I found that the recommended way from Sheffield to Derby that day was XC which were running normally and there was no mention of any option to travel via Parkway.
My question is, if the train had not stopped additionally at East Mids Parkway and I had been checked before arriving at Leicester (or on the way back) are staff told to charge an excess fare or are they advised to accept my explanation and not charge?
At very short notice I needed to travel Sheffield to Derby on a Saturday. Normally I would always check for engineering works, but did not have time. A London train was about to depart as I reached the station so I jumped on and validated my Derbyshire Wayfarer (of which I always have a stock at home).
No announcements were made upon departure, but I looked at the scrolling screen and the normal Chesterfield, Derby & Leicester stops were shown.
After leaving Chesterfield we turned left. I thought nothing of this as you can get to Derby that way. However, at Trent we went straight on. Concerned that I would end up in Leicester, I started to move forward to find the guard but before I had reached him an announcement came that we were about to stop at East Mids Parkway (this makes me think that the lack of announcements earlier was due to speaker fault in the coach I was in). The scrolling screen still said next stop Derby.
I alighted at Parkway to be met by a manual ticket check line. I showed my Derbyshire Wayfarer (which isn't normally valid there) and said I was trying to get to Derby and was directed to a waiting bus. When I got home in the evening I found that the recommended way from Sheffield to Derby that day was XC which were running normally and there was no mention of any option to travel via Parkway.
My question is, if the train had not stopped additionally at East Mids Parkway and I had been checked before arriving at Leicester (or on the way back) are staff told to charge an excess fare or are they advised to accept my explanation and not charge?