Stranded at Snow Hill

[CentralTrainer]

Interesting one tonight. Turned up at Birmingham Snow Hill to get the last service to Worcester to be notified the last train was cancelled due to the old Chestnut of “Shortage of Train Crew”.

Station staff (who appeared after 10 minutes post scheduled departure) directed me to a bus and told - that’ll get you as far as Stourbridge and “they’ll sort something from there”.

Wish me luck.

 

[MotCO]

Did you buy your ticket in advance of your journey, or just try to buy a ticket when you arrived at Snow Hill? If the former, the station staff should have provided alternative transport, such as a taxi, not just tell you to catch a bus in the general direction of where you want to go and hope for the best.

 

[CentralTrainer]

It’s the former - had a return from Worcester to Leicester as I was working out there today

 

[MotCO]

If you're still at the station, ask the staff what to do - they should not fob you off, but they have a responsibility to help you. At worst, they should put you up in a hotel if they cannot get you to your home station.

 

[CentralTrainer]

I’m on the bus South - I think they might get me down to Worcester - as there’s a few in here wanting to get to Kidderminster (further along the line from Stourbridge). I might get lucky

 

[CentralTrainer]

Looks like I won the mind games. Got to Kidderminster where everyone else got off. Gave the “thousand yard zone out into the long distance out the window” when the driver started to open the cab door to get rid of me at an unstaffed station.

Now hearing further South to Worcester

 

[Andy Pacer]

Still a really bad situation to find yourself in, I often wonder how easily fobbed off people get who know nothing about trains/the industry/their rights etc

 

[MotCO]

I hope you got home alright. The bus driver was obviously putting himself out for you - good for him. Pity the railway official was not so accommodating.

Don't forget to claim a refund on the unused ticket - I assume you had to pay for your own bus ticket. If not, if you arrived later at your destination than the timetabled train, submit delay repay request.