Train specific advance ticket - cancellation?

[Howardh]

I'm booked on the 1335 MAN>EUS tomorrow, with a train specific advance ticket and return the same day. If that particular train is cancelled - and I know it's cancelled (say) an hour before departure -
Can I get on the 1315 earlier one (a) if it runs on time-ish or (b) leaves later than 1335
and
If my scheduled train is cancelled can I abandon the whole journey (two parts) and get a full refund?
Cheers!

 

[Bletchleyite]

You can, at your option, take the train before or the train after, or you can abandon the journey for a full refund.

 

[Howardh]

You can, at your option, take the train before or the train after, or you can abandon the journey for a full refund.

Thanks!

 

[gray1404]

Certainly under Virgin Trains, once it was known one of their trains was cancelled, they'd let you on the next train they were running going to where you needed to go. This would even be before (or a few times in my case, several trains before my booked one). I do not know if AWC are as accommodating.

Certainly, you are able to take the train before* or after your cancelled one. Trains to Manchester are very frequent, although today's timetable is subject to change. Also, if you arrive at you destination 15 or more minutes take due to a delay, missed connection or cancelled train, keep hold of your tickets and claim compensation. On a route like Euston to Manchester with a frequent service, a c20 minute delay getting the next train might not be too taxing on your time, but be a handsome payment in compensation.

*I have seen it here many times people saying you can take the train before or after your cancelled one. However, although I would love this to be true, I've been told otherwise on the round that it is the train after. If anyone has any documentation to help back up the claim its either side please let me know so I can carry this when I travel.

I have never had any problems getting refunds on 2 advance singles (one each way) when one leg has been cancelled and I've decided not to make the journey at all. On one occasion I the retailer said no because it was two single journeys. However, once I challenged this, saying it was two singles to make a return journey and one way would serve no purpose, they paid up with a fee free refund. Some retailers are more accommodating then others.

 

[Howardh]

*I have seen it here many times people saying you can take the train before or after your cancelled one. However, although I would love this to be true, I've been told otherwise on the round that it is the train after. If anyone has any documentation to help back up the claim its either side please let me know so I can carry this when I travel.
.

If a train is cancelled, surely it would help the TOC if pax could catch an earlier one to spread the load on the following one? That's, of course, if they have sufficient notice!

 

[swt_passenger]

Meanwhile, whatever people do in practice on busy routes such as the WCML with its 20 min interval service, the National Rail conditions of travel only explicitly refer to being allowed to catching a later train...

I suggest that on a majority of routes, people don’t have the chance to take an earlier train, because they won’t be at the station yet...

 

[Howardh]

I suggest that on a majority of routes, people don’t have the chance to take an earlier train, because they won’t be at the station yet...

Indeed, but these days you can check the train via the app or website, and it's possible to get to the station earlier if you have enough notice. EG tomorrow, my train's 1335, but I should ab at Piccadilly 30 minutes earlier so technically the 1315 would be available if - when I get there or find out on the way - the 1335's cancelled. Of course it's handy the train is every 20 mins, if it were hourly then catching an earlier one would be impractical.

 

[gray1404]

Being able to catch the train before is useful if your next one is not for an hour. E.g. Liverpool to London.

If the next train was only 20 minutes later however I might allow myself to be delayed (get the train after rather then the one before) so I could claim delay repay. If customer is kind enough to allow themselves go earlier it could mean the TOC doesn't have to pay any compensation.

However, if anyone can point to anything that permits the customer to take the train before if it's cancelled then I would be very grateful. This would be useful as:
missing one connection as part of a multi leg journey can really be troublesome. Being able to get the train before means connections can still be made.
Some routes only have one train an hour and arriving an hour late is a huge delay to shoulder

 

[221129]

You can, at your option, take the train before or the train after, or you can abandon the journey for a full refund.

There is no contractual right to get the one before.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I know of several occasions when disruption was severe that my relatives travelled on a train which was SCHEDULED earlier than their booked train, but which actually departed considerably later. In these cases there was no objection and the delay repay claim was calculated based on the actual arrival time of the train on which they travelled, compared to the scheduled arrival time of the booked train.

 

[Howardh]

I know of several occasions when disruption was severe that my relatives travelled on a train which was SCHEDULED earlier than their booked train, but which actually departed considerably later. In these cases there was no objection and the delay repay claim was calculated based on the actual arrival time of the train on which they travelled, compared to the scheduled arrival time of the booked train.

I thought that had been dealt with in the delay-repay threads, if you arrive at a station at 1230 for the 1240 but the 1200 trundles in at 1235 and you get it you wouldn't have a right to delay repay on the grounds that you weren't actually delayed (in fact, you may well arrive earlier than scheduled!!)?
But then again, not all stations scan your ticket, so it's an option for a bit of compensation, as who knows that you weren't due on the 1200 (even at gated stations, you cold turn up, see your train's late and go off to a cafe to pass the time and not have your ticket scanned)?

 

[Wirewiper]

I once travelled on the 11.30 First Great Western service from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads, on a day when the 12.00 had been cancelled. Not only were the station announcements advising passengers with Advance tickets for the 12.00 that they could use the 11.30, but the conductor positively welcomed passengers with tickets for the 12.00 and reassured them that they could sit in any unreserved seat - he even announced which coaches had no reservations.

 

[robbeech]

There is no contractual right to get the one before.

Absolutely and some operators, or at least many staff from some operators will not allow it. It is generally at the discretion of the guard. It is in the interest of the passenger to minimise (or eradicate) their delay, and it is in the interest of the operator to not have to pay out delay repay compensation.
On complaint i have with a select number of operators is when they EXPECT passengers to catch an earlier service and provide alternative travel based upon a train that leaves 15 minutes earlier and nothing more.

 

[JBuchananGB]

Back on 8 August my relatives were booked on the 17.33 Euston to Liverpool, and on arriving at Euston about 5pm found nothing was moving. Eventually they boarded a train which turned out to be the 1700 departure but which departed about 1815. Arrived in Liverpool about 45 minutes after the time the 1733 would have got them there. Delay repay based on that
On another occasion my daughter had booked on the 1820 Kings Cross to Edinburgh. Arrived at KGX about 6.10pm to find that the OHLE was down somewhere south of Rugby. Nothing requiring electricity was moving. However the 1800 service using HST had not departed so she caught that one, which made its way past the problem via Lincoln, incurring more delays on the way. She reached Edinburgh after 1am, and claimed delay repay.

In both these case the passengers boarded an EARLIER train than the one booked, but both departed and arrive well after their scheduled times.

 

[Wirewiper]

Back on 8 August my relatives were booked on the 17.33 Euston to Liverpool, and on arriving at Euston about 5pm found nothing was moving. Eventually they boarded a train which turned out to be the 1700 departure but which departed about 1815. Arrived in Liverpool about 45 minutes after the time the 1733 would have got them there. Delay repay based on that
On another occasion my daughter had booked on the 1820 Kings Cross to Edinburgh. Arrived at KGX about 6.10pm to find that the OHLE was down somewhere south of Rugby. Nothing requiring electricity was moving. However the 1800 service using HST had not departed so she caught that one, which made its way past the problem via Lincoln, incurring more delays on the way. She reached Edinburgh after 1am, and claimed delay repay.

In both these case the passengers boarded an EARLIER train than the one booked, but both departed and arrive well after their scheduled times.

In my example the train wasn't even late, everything was running to time except that one service had been cancelled.

GWR don't get everything right, but their customer focus is generally good.