Train was late and therefore missed final Uni exam any additional compensation?

[gordonthemoron]

I'm not aware of any hostels in Leeds

 

[richw]

As would I!

Everyone advocating the earlier train option needs to look at the service on that line, a train every 10 minutes it aint!
The first train is at 0730 then 1032,1332, 1545 etc with a journey time of just over an hour.

As for the hostel idea, how does she know that she is going to get any sleep in there?
Turning up very tired wouldnt have done her chances any good!

Hypothetically a 9am exam, they have no option but to catch the 0730 service, arrive about 0830,

34D's half hour tolerance would still be no help if the train was greater than an hour late.

 

[455driver]

As there wasnt an earlier train or a Hostel available maybe she should have hired a helicopter!

If people can come up with a viable alternative (rather than a possibility) then please post, but the options are limited from Settle to Leeds.

A bit more info from the OP would be nice though but it is what it is and saying what should/could have been done differently isnt much help.

There is no come back on the railway but the College are in a position to help, whether they chose to is another thing altogether.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Although, as previously stated, universities are very, very strict with this sort of thing.

 

[Deerfold]

As for the hostel idea, how does she know that she is going to get any sleep in there?
Turning up very tired wouldnt have done her chances any good!

If we're talking about central Leeds there are no hostels and few cheap hotels (if you search you may appear to find one but it's actually university halls and thus only availably July/August; there's also one recently opened small one in the suburbs). It's a very expensive place to spend a night compared with, say, Manchester.

I'm not aware of any hostels in Leeds

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/england/leeds/107728/

http://www.hostelworld.com/hostelde...-05-28&dateTo=2014-05-31&sc_sau=avdc&sc_pos=4

(This has few reviews and is rated at 55% on one site and 75% on another. I'm fairly tolerant and usually disregard any hostels below 65%/)

 

[gordonthemoron]

must be new or usually full booked as I've usually wound up staying at a hostel in Manchester when visiting Leeds

 

[Deerfold]

must be new or usually full booked as I've usually wound up staying at a hostel in Manchester when visiting Leeds

I'm fairly sure it's new as I've tried to find places in Leeds for the night before now and failed (I've ended up staying at a friend's in Huddersfield who lives just as far away from Leeds as I do but who has night trains).

 

[Chapeltom]

As would I!

Everyone advocating the earlier train option needs to look at the service on that line, a train every 10 minutes it aint!
The first train is at 0730 then 1032,1332, 1545 etc with a journey time of just over an hour.

As for the hostel idea, how does she know that she is going to get any sleep in there?
Turning up very tired wouldnt have done her chances any good!

Yeah, the hostel idea was mine and is something I actually did for my final History exam stopping in Liverpool. I cannot name a single opportunity where I have slept well before an exam, but I'd rather done it without worrying about getting up in time for a train. I only got 2-3 hours sleep, whilst I was not too refreshed, I felt a lot better than I would have with had I tried sleeping at home. I came out the exam feeling fine anyway, it actually went better than expected.

 

[Unigirl]

Thanks for all your messages does not look good to get any help from rail company. You all mention leaving enough time to in case of an emergency which she could not do she caught the first train to Leeds, also the train broke down between stations so even if she could have got a taxi she could not leave the train until it got to the next station which was after the exam started.
She is talking to the uni but as this exam was a resit she cannot take it again this year. The uni have told her that the next exam will be on a completely different subject and so she will have to do the whole module again which means attending uni for another year which in turn means another years fees they are looking at letting her take it in January which is why we may only have to pay £800. Ahh well a really really hard lesson learned

 

[Unigirl]

In response to all the posts. My daughter rang the uni as soon as she found out the train was not going to be on time. She could not get off the train as it broke down between stations and by the time it got to the next station the exam had already started. She did not take the taxi that was offered as she would have to pay for this and was told she would not get her money back, she could not afford this and could not get in touch with anyone to order a taxi for her as she had no phone signal. The taxi offered by the conductor was from Gargrave station 10 miles away it was already 9am she was at Hellifield and it was impossible for her to arrive by 9:20am which was the time the uni told she had to be let into the exam. She took the first train to Leeds which she has done for the last three years and never had a delay this long, if she had been able to she would have driven but I needed the car for work so she could not take that option as for a hotel she is a student who has very little money living away from home struggling to survive on a student loan.
All I wanted to know was if the train company was liable for anything more than refunding her ticket but it does not look as if they are so a really really hard lesson learnt. The exam was a resit so she cannot take it again and also as the next year exam will be completely different she has to take the whole module again and hopefully take the exam in January which is why it will cost £800. Thanks for your help

 

[yorkie]

Sorry to hear that. Clearly something else caused the first exam not to take place so it's an unfortunate combination of events, for which Northern can't be held liable.

There were only 43 minutes between the scheduled arrival time of the train, and the latest time of arrival for the exam. Depending on how long it takes to get from platform to exam room, the slack time was certainly under 30 minutes and possibly rather less than that. That isn't enough for something this important.

So, for next year, it would be recommended to arrange for overnight accommodation in Leeds, to be safe, however it's too late for that now, it's a hard way to learn the lesson, and I feel sorry for you but, as we've established earlier in this thread, Northern can't be held liable for the consequences.

Edit: it's been pointed out to me by kwvr45 that a better alternative would be to arrange transport (e.g. a lift, or a taxi) to Skipton (SKI), from where there are much earlier - and more frequent - trains to Leeds.

I think we can conclude the thread there, but as always iif anyone has anything significant to add please feel free to contact me.

Discussion regarding affordable places to stay in Leeds is a worthwhile discussion so feel free to continue it, I'd suggest a new thread in the Trip Planning forum.