Ticket route restrictions during strikes

[eoff]

Hope this is an appropriate section as I'm trying to plan my options for a journey from Manchester to Edinburgh after 1600 on Dec 8 2023.

How likely is it that via-carlisle restrictions will be lifted by TPE during the strike and if they do is this something that needs agreement with any other TOCs offering routes to Edinburgh (via York for example).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Are Avanti still running services from Warrington Bank Quay up to Edinburgh (or Glasgow Central) that day?

If so, hopefully TfW will get you from Manchester Piccadilly to Warrington BQ.

 

[eoff]

Should note that I did contact TPE on the date of my posting (25/11) asking about ticket validity on other routes.
As yet I have received no reply other than an automated response that seems to indicate they don't even have an effective customer service team...

"...it may be 4 weeks time before we get round to responding to your enquiry."

 

[eoff]

Yes, I'm hoping the via Warrington Bank Quay trains are running.

TPE customer services told me they are not allowing tickets to be used on other routes from Manchester to Edinburgh during the strike for people who had reservations on trains they have cancelled.

I asked one of the LNER staff near the ticket windows at Waverley if I could upgrade my ticket (or change it) to allow travel via Carlisle or York but after she researched ticket options on her device it seems that is impossible. You have a restriction either way, no ticket allows both.

So I'll see what happens on Friday.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, I'm hoping the via Warrington Bank Quay trains are running.

TPE customer services told me they are not allowing tickets to be used on other routes from Manchester to Edinburgh during the strike for people who had reservations on trains they have cancelled.

I asked one of the LNER staff near the ticket windows at Waverley if I could upgrade my ticket (or change it) to allow travel via Carlisle or York but after she researched ticket options on her device it seems that is impossible. You have a restriction either way, no ticket allows both.

So I'll see what happens on Friday.

It's a stupid situation that shouldn't be allowed (there should always be a ticket valid on both routes).

However, on a couple of occasions I have bought the ticket for one route and excessed the return portion to go the other route.

 

[eoff]

In the end I abandoned the return as I did not wish to use any of the alternative services with fairly short connections.
Fortunately I was able to get a lift home.

So on to a refund and it gets beyond crazy.

In a normal world you would expect I should get back 1/2 of the return ticket price but oh no, LNER (who sold the ticket) customer services logic is that I used one half of the return and that counts as a single and that is most of the price of an off-peak return so I'm only due peanuts.

 

[eoff]

Further to the above presumably this means I can base a delay repay claim for the outgoing trip (>30m late) on the single price?

 

[yorkie]

Further to the above presumably this means I can base a delay repay claim for the outgoing trip (>30m late) on the single price?

Only if you held a Single; if you had a return, then you base it on half the value of the return.