What do you do in the event of / prepare for a delay?

[ThrowAway10101]

I think i do too much but this is what i (try to) do:

Before the journey:
- Check which different and reasonable ways i can get to my destination.
- Check if the first train is on time.

During the journey:
- Check if the connecting train(s) is on time as well as platform. If not, use national rail website to check for delays and find different routes to get me to my destination the earliest. If it's a major delay and confirmation of ticket acceptance isn't out yet i'm going on anyway and asking the guard if possible.

It's a lot of effort though. That's why i prefer the least amount of changes. Unless the changes are on smallers stations or same line where the delay is easier to predict.

 

[Bald Rick]

1) always have a plan b (and possibly c and d)
2) check progress of train, or inbound working if I’m joining at or near origin
3) Once on board (or rarely, while waiting for train to arrive), check previous services running
4) if connecting, track the train I am on and connection until I’m 100% sure of making the connection
5) at first sign of trouble, start checking and tracking plan b/c/d etc.

Personally, I don’t find this much effort at all. But I know I’m in a rather small minority of people who think that or even do this.

As Baden-Powell said, “Be Prepared”.

 

[FrontSideBus]

If the trains is delayed for more than 10 minutes: Find the nearest Wetherspoons and select one of their wide selection of great beers.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

When I'm travelling (e.g. on day rovers) a lot of the backup ideas aren't written down, but I will have seen them during the planning phase.
Although I do sometimes make plans for if specific things are cancelled meaning I'd have time to do something else (e.g. Heysham boat train, which fortunately was not cancelled, stopping at Clifton took 3 tries due to various chaos).

If I'm doing a long distance journey I will have gone through the routing guide at some point (or at least played around in a journey planner) to figure out all the diversions I can take (e.g. to London via Chesterfield, Banbury, Uttoxeter) even if I plan to take the simple 2h direct train.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

As Baden-Powell said, “Be Prepared”.

And that includes possibly abandoning your journey and/or maybe using an alternative method of transport, other than rail.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I wouldn't underestimate the power of google maps to tie together a bus and train that allows you to make it there a bit earlier for just a £2 bus ticket.

 

[Harpo]

If the trains is delayed for more than 10 minutes: Find the nearest Wetherspoons and select one of their wide selection of great beers.

My pre-Spoons London commute move was to go to the pub for an hour then come back to see if something was running and the sheep had dispersed. Only available if pubs were actually open though.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Two recent trips in the North West (both on Rovers, so i could go where I liked)

1. At Manchester, having sampled all three brands of Nova (this was in early 2020), jumped on a 158 with the intention of picking up a train to Chester at Liverpool Parkway, to cover the recently-reopened Halton Curve, and then get a train home to London. To my dismay, as i approached Parkway, I saw on RTT that the Chester train was cancelled. I could have just gone home, but a quick check on RTT showed that if I stayed on the train to Lime Street I had a chance of getting to Chester via the Wirral in time for the next train over the curve in the other direction. Very tight connection at Chester but I made it, and then caught a London train from Runcorn.

2. Again at Manchester, last year, sampling 769s, then intending to take a 197 to Earlestown, switch to something else to Liverpool and try out the 777s and 230s. The 197 got all the way from Picadilly to Oxford Road before breaking down, so we were chucked off and I had to use a 331 which followed the ailing 197 all the way to Earlestown, resulting in a late arrival at Liverpool and, after a quick run on a 777 to sandhills, getting to Bidston later than intended, so I had missed my train to Neston where I had intended to pick up an incoming 230 back to Bidston. So I took the 230 to Shotton instead, and went home via Chester

And one on SWR. At Kingston, waiting for a train to London, with the intention of going to Euston and ultimately Coventry. Train shown as running late, the lateness increasing by one minute every 60 seconds. Long experience told me that this means the train was not moving. RTT showed it as having left Fulwell but not yet reached Teddington. OTT showed that it was never going to get to Teddington, as it had turned left instead of right, and was no going via Richmond. Also showed the previous train stuck outside New Malden, suggesting that, despite what the departure screens were telling us, (and with the usual level of announcements in such situations - i.e none at all) there were not going to be any trains to London for the forseeable. The station staff were unaware of the situation, as they had no more information than the automatic lie generators (PIS), but as it turned out, there would be no trains from Kingston to London for the rest of the day, because of a points failure.. Quick dash to catch a bus to Surbiton, and thus to Euston just in time to catch the train, meaning that Bach's St John Passion did not have to be performed without its central character! (Not me in that role, but one of my companions)

 

[edwin_m]

If it's one of the very few business meetings in another city, where it's critical that I'm present in person, I'll generally aim to arrive 30-60min early and find a desk to do something useful until it starts. For a 1000 meeting that's more than about 2hr away then I'll probably travel the night before and stay over. Otherwise, keep an eye on any upcoming connections similar to #2.

 

[FrontSideBus]

I suppose that's the great thing about ranger tickets to explore the network; you can use any train and any service within the zone.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I suppose that's the great thing about ranger tickets to explore the network; you can use any train and any service within the zone.

Generally yes, but not always the case. 'South Pennines Day Rangers' aren't valid on XC services between Wakefield Westgate and Sheffield. Or on Grand Central. 'North East Rovers' not valid on Grand Central or Hull Trains. Probably a few other examples.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Generally yes, but not always the case. 'South Pennines Day Rangers' aren't valid on XC services between Wakefield Westgate and Sheffield.

However the train does travel outside of the zones, like how Gatwick-Reading by GWR isn't valid on contactless even with both ends in the area.
The Open Access companies being outside of the rovers does make sense for them, the rovers are very good value so that makes them bad for the profit harvesters.

 

[xotGD]

On Northern, hope that the delay goes beyond 30 minutes, in order to qualify for a free ticket. Just like the train I'm on now.

 

[Hadders]

I track my train and generally try to have a back-up in the event of a something going wrong.

If the job stops completely and I can't get anywhere then I'll walk 10 minutes away from the station and find a pub or coffee shop and work out alternatives in relative peace and quiet. Most people can't be bothered to walk 10 minutes!

A few years back I was travelling on Eurostar to Paris thence onwards to Clermont Ferrand to see a rugny match. It was the day HS1 got shut dur to those protestors on the tunnel mouth just outside St Pancras. I arrived at STP and the place was absolute chaos. I walked to the Costa coffee on York Way which was empty, bought a coffee got my phone out and worked out options. In the end the only option was to go home, re-book and travel the following day.

I made it to cermont just in time for kick off!