(Potentially Insensitive) AP Refunds Question

[Ivo]

First off, I apologise in advance if this is deemed to be insensitive.

Anyway, for those of you who do not know, there was a fatality at Twyford yesterday. Traffic through the station was severely disrupted and all routes were on the slow lines only through there. I was due to leave Paddington on the 15:00 with a First Class Advance ticket. Needless to say, the train was delayed, with a departure time of 15:31. By the time we reached Reading, the train was 46 minutes late and thereafter made up almost no time. We were 42 minutes late into Bath.

Now for the potentially insensitive bit. What are the rules regarding delays of this kind? I have never been affected by a fatality in this way, so I don't know (I have had no reason to research the matter). Am I right to assume that - owing to the circumstances being beyond the control of both FGW and Network Rail - there are no grounds for refund here?

TIA

 

[Failed Unit]

First off, I apologise in advance if this is deemed to be insensitive.

Anyway, for those of you who do not know, there was a fatality at Twyford yesterday. Traffic through the station was severely disrupted and all routes were on the slow lines only through there. I was due to leave Paddington on the 15:00 with a First Class Advance ticket. Needless to say, the train was delayed, with a departure time of 15:31. By the time we reached Reading, the train was 46 minutes late and thereafter made up almost no time. We were 42 minutes late into Bath.

Now for the potentially insensitive bit. What are the rules regarding delays of this kind? I have never been affected by a fatality in this way, so I don't know (I have had no reason to research the matter). Am I right to assume that - owing to the circumstances being beyond the control of both FGW and Network Rail - there are no grounds for refund here?

TIA

Depends on the TOC individaul charter, if it was East Coast they they would pay.

 

[tony_mac]

FGW won't pay...

Compensation will not be available for disruption resulting from events beyond the control of the rail industry. These include trespass,

 

[Ivo]

Didn't think so; I wouldn't either

Merci

 

[transportphoto]

FGW won't pay...

Compensation will not be available for disruption resulting from events beyond the control of the rail industry. These include trespass,

Yes - thats what I was going to say.

Unfortunately, these sorts of things happen - they are caused by the person trespassing onto the tracks.

 

[bnm]

FGW do not offer 'Delay Repay' for circumstances beyond their control, so any claim is unlikely to suceed excepting goodwill gestures only. Even a goodwill gesture is unlikely as you were only delayed 42 minutes.

Given the circumstances of this particular 'person hit by train', which was linked to another death nearby and the police treating both as 'unexplained' rather than suicide, to be only delayed by 42 minutes was fortunate. Others that day faced far worse delays.

From the BBC:

Police investigating the fatal stabbing of a woman and the death of a man who was hit by a train have said they are not looking for anyone else. The woman, in her 40s, was found dead at a house in Malone Road, Woodley, at about 1350 BST on Wednesday. The man, also in his 40s, was found at Twyford Railway Station at 1400 BST.

Both deaths are being treated as unexplained and the results of post-mortem tests are due later. Officers remain at the semi-detached house.

Thames Valley Police said they are patrolling the area "to provide reassurance". Det Insp Rod Howell, who is leading the investigation, said: "At this stage we have been unable to inform all the family members of the people who have died. Those family members that we have traced are being looked after by specially trained officers.

"While we are not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths, we appreciate that this incident has caused a great deal of upset in the community."

A South Central Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We had a call at 1347 BST to an incident in Malone Road, Woodley. It was reported to us as a female with stab wounds. We got there at 1350 BST, we did not treat or convey. She was beyond help." He added: "At 1357 BST there was another incident, where a male had been hit by a train at Twyford. We were on the scene at 1359 BST."

 

[wibble]

FGW won't pay...

That's a bit surprising - don't Network Rail compensate FGW for the delay, even though it's beyond their control?

SWT would pay out....

 

[moonrakerz]

FGW won't pay...

Funny ! I returned a couple of AP tickets to FGW last week, we couldn't travel because of a family illness.

I got a letter back saying that they were sorry we couldn't travel but that AP tickets were not refundable (which I knew), in the Ts & Cs, etc, etc - "However, as a goodwill gesture" they refunded the whole amount !

Well done FGW........