Rail replacement bus - longer journey - peak / off peak

[Skymonster]

I have cause to travel from Long Eaton to Birmingham on a semi-regular basis, and always travel just after the morning peak. However, at present the Derby blockade means journey times are increased as rail replacement buses are involved. The lengthier journeys the buses entail mean that to get to Birmingham at the same time as normal - the time I need to be there - I will have to leave Long Eaton on the rail replacement bus towards the end of the peak rather than at the start of the offpeak. In this case it's actually it's only the rail replacement bus I need to board in the peak as by the time the bus gets to either East Midlands Parkway or Burton on Trent (depending on which route I chose to take) it's into the off peak so won't be a snag on the train. I've asked about buying an offpeak and leaving in the peak during the blockade, explaining the circumstances, and the basic response I got was along the lines of "too bad, you are leaving in the peak, you could travel a bit later."

For what it's worth, NRE also prices a journey as peak because of the need to get an earlier (bus) departure whereas normally the trip (identcal arrival time at Birmingham) is priced as offpeak.

So:

• Are peak / offpeak restrictions really enforced on rail replacement buses in such cases?
• The Cross Country 2V restriction says "Not valid for trains scheduled to depart..." It doesn't say anything about validity on buses.
• I think it grossly unfair that I should be penalised and told to buy an anytime fare for a journey I could normally complete in the offpeak, when it is an act of the railway that is lengthening my journey and forcing me to leave earlier at the end of the morning peak.

Thanks for any wisdom anyone can provide.

 

[yorkie]

I have cause to travel from Long Eaton to Birmingham on a semi-regular basis, and always travel just after the morning peak. However, at present the Derby blockade means journey times are increased as rail replacement buses are involved. The lengthier journeys the buses entail mean that to get to Birmingham at the same time as normal - the time I need to be there - I will have to leave Long Eaton on the rail replacement bus towards the end of the peak rather than at the start of the offpeak. In this case it's actually it's only the rail replacement bus I need to board in the peak as by the time the bus gets to either East Midlands Parkway or Burton on Trent (depending on which route I chose to take) it's into the off peak so won't be a snag on the train. I've asked about buying an offpeak and leaving in the peak during the blockade, explaining the circumstances, and the basic response I got was along the lines of "too bad, you are leaving in the peak, you could travel a bit later."

For what it's worth, NRE also prices a journey as peak because of the need to get an earlier (bus) departure whereas normally the trip (identcal arrival time at Birmingham) is priced as offpeak.

So:

• Are peak / offpeak restrictions really enforced on rail replacement buses in such cases?
• The Cross Country 2V restriction says "Not valid for trains scheduled to depart..." It doesn't say anything about validity on buses.
• I think it grossly unfair that I should be penalised and told to buy an anytime fare for a journey I could normally complete in the offpeak, when it is an act of the railway that is lengthening my journey and forcing me to leave earlier at the end of the morning peak.

Thanks for any wisdom anyone can provide.

Try asking XC (you might get an answer on Twitter) for their view.

It's probably unlikely that the restrictions will actually be enforced on the bus; the bus may not have staff who can look up the multitude of different restrictions, and it's also against the spirit of the rules to enforce a restriction in these circumstances.

 

[Skymonster]

Thanks Yorkie - I will try the question to AXC then as it was EMT that basically said "tough" when I asked at the station. For what it's worth there seem to be staff (wearing green tabbards) acting as bouncers controlling bus access.