I was on yesterday's 11:25 Lumo service from Edinburgh to Newcastle, travelling on an advance ticket for that service. The train immediately developed a fault and stood off the end of the platforms at Waverley for approximately 50 minutes before reversing back into the platform. The onboard staff announced that the train would be taken out of service at Edinburgh and replaced with a different set from the depot, and it was announced that this could take 'up to 30 minutes', that passengers would be entitled to delay repay, and that ticket acceptance was not in place and that 'choosing to travel with another operator would be chargeable'. This is obviously at odds with the right to be re-routed under the PRO when a delay is expected to be greater than 60 minutes.
In the end, the Lumo service departed Edinburgh at 13:20 (115m late) and arrived at Newcastle at 14:59 (128m late).
30 minutes seemed unrealistically ambitious so I chose to re-route myself instead, buying a new off-peak single and taking the 12:30 LNER service to Peterborough, arriving at Newcastle at 14:02 (69m later than the scheduled arrival time of the Lumo service). I'm trying to get my head around what it is I need to claim back - is it 1h delay repay plus the cost of the new ticket, or did I technically abandon my journey and thus need a refund of the original ticket plus a refund of the new ticket?
The onboard staff on the Lumo service also started their ticket check before the train even originally departed (as in while the doors were unlocked and the train was still boarding prior to 11:25). Do we expect that my paper ticket having been marked by this staff member might cause additional complication to the process?
I fully expect to have to have an elongated argument with regard to having the cost of the new ticket reimbursed, but to be honest I'm quite happy to have the argument and quite happy to take it all the way to the small claims court if necessary.
In the end, the Lumo service departed Edinburgh at 13:20 (115m late) and arrived at Newcastle at 14:59 (128m late).
30 minutes seemed unrealistically ambitious so I chose to re-route myself instead, buying a new off-peak single and taking the 12:30 LNER service to Peterborough, arriving at Newcastle at 14:02 (69m later than the scheduled arrival time of the Lumo service). I'm trying to get my head around what it is I need to claim back - is it 1h delay repay plus the cost of the new ticket, or did I technically abandon my journey and thus need a refund of the original ticket plus a refund of the new ticket?
The onboard staff on the Lumo service also started their ticket check before the train even originally departed (as in while the doors were unlocked and the train was still boarding prior to 11:25). Do we expect that my paper ticket having been marked by this staff member might cause additional complication to the process?
I fully expect to have to have an elongated argument with regard to having the cost of the new ticket reimbursed, but to be honest I'm quite happy to have the argument and quite happy to take it all the way to the small claims court if necessary.