Stopping short on an advance during disruption?

[IrishDave]

A friend of mine travelled yesterday from Coventry to Cosham, on a First Class Advance routed VWC&Connections. The itinerary was
1151 Coventry-Watford Jn
1251 Watford Jn-Clapham Jn
1338 Clapham Jn-Cosham (operated by Southern, via Horsham)

In the event the 1338 was cancelled, and after speaking to the ticket office he was directed to the 1352 to Portsmouth and Southsea (operated by SWT), on which he travelled to Havant with no argument (the guard did check tickets), and then was picked up from Havant rather than waiting for a train to Cosham.

Now, technically, by stopping short he has breached the no-break-of-journey rule on advance tickets. In the event, there wasn't any problem (which is why this thread isn't in Disputes and Prosecutions!). However, is there some clause in the NRCoC which makes what he did permissible due to the disruption caused by the cancelled train? Something like abandoning a journey? It seems somewhat churlish to force a passenger to complete a journey that's already late, when they could make up some time by stopping short and getting a lift...

 

[button_boxer]

I've done the same one time when I was on an advance from Derby to London, but disruption meant we were all kicked off at an unscheduled stop at Luton and put on (slow and delayed) FCC services the rest of the way. Given my eventual destination was Hendon I bailed there on the basis that if I was stopped I'd just get back on the next service to St Pancras and come back. In the event it was all chaos and nobody checked, and I ended up exiting Hendon station about the same time I would have by the original plan.

 

[jopsuk]

I don't think there's an official policy. I've certainly "stopped short" without being caught during disruption happily- but that was travelling to south west wales, when I saw from my late running HST into Swansea the every-two-hours Pembroke train departing. I had friends that were due to pick me up at Pembroke that I knew was still on the M4- quick call saw them divert to collect me.

 

[170401]

I don't know of any official policy but as the 1338 train was cancelled I would interpret that as the train company having broken their contract with your friend. As the contract is now broken I think it would be difficult for them to enforce tickets rules for the remainder of the journey.

 

[yorkie]

If delays occur, you can either stick with the itinerary and claim compensation as appropriate, or abandon your journey.

If you abandon in a case like this, the fares would almost certainly be the same, so no refund due.

Some forum members recently travelled from London to a small place in Wales, with a 10 minute connection from Swansea. FGW Guard informed them if they went to Swansea and missed the connection, they'd have to abandon their journey. FGW customer services confirmed they'd get nothing back if they did this but the Guard was incorrect to say they'd have to abandon as a taxi would be provided. However if they made a connection at another station and were over an hour late they'd be compensated. So they chose to complete the journey.

I'd argue that compensation should still be provided to the customer to the extent that would have applied had he waited for the train and completed the journey.

The failure of the Company to provide the advertised service would not, however, lead to compensation being due to the Company from the customer.