Would I be eligible for delay repay if I bought a new ticket to avoid missing a connection

[AdamK325]

Travelled from York to Carlisle yesterday.

I had separate advance tickets for each journey leg (York to Newcastle with LNER then Newcastle to Carlisle with Northern), booked with separate booking references, all booked through LNER. The connection time was 17 minutes.

When I arrived at York station, the Newcastle train was already 30 minutes late so I didn’t think it would be possible to make the connection at Newcastle. I was keen to avoid waiting for the next Carlisle train which would have arrived nearly an hour later.

I asked a member of station staff about travelling on an earlier LNER service which was not delayed and they advised me to ask the train manager of that service if I could board however I wasn’t able find them before the train departed

I ended up buying a new off peak single from York to Newcastle to travel on a TPE service instead which got us to Newcastle in time for the connection which I used my original advance ticket for

I was wondering if I would have any grounds for asking LNER for a refund for our original advance tickets for the LNER service, as I chose not to travel on it due to the delay. Not sure if I can apply for delay repay as I didn’t arrive late on the end

Planned journey itinerary:
1st Leg: 1N10 LNER from York to Newcastle, scheduled 17:30 - 18:35
2nd Leg: 1J73 Northern from Newcastle to Carlisle, scheduled 18:52 - 20:27

Actual journey itinerary:
1st Leg: Delayed 9E15 Transpennine Express from York to Newcastle
2nd Leg: 1J73 Northern from Newcastle to Carlisle

Thanks in advance

 

[Wallsendmag]

I'd say no but because your train was late you can claim a full refund on the Advance from York to Newcastle

 

[tram21]

I'd say no but because your train was late you can claim a full refund on the Advance from York to Newcastle

You can't normally claim a refund for a 'delay' (then people would just refund if the train was a couple of minutes late!)

But I see no reason why a refund would be refused if you attach your replacement tickets, I'm sure that'd be okay.

 

[jfollows]

Delay Repay should be based on your actual arrival time compared to the booked arrival time.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You can't normally claim a refund for a 'delay' (then people would just refund if the train was a couple of minutes late!)

You absolutely can if you decide not to travel as a result of the delay.

National Rail Conditions of Travel | National Rail

The gateway to Britain's National Rail network. A portal into UK rail travel including train company information and promotions; train times; fares enquiries; ticket purchase and train running information

www.nationalrail.co.uk

30.1 Conditions 30.1 - 30.4 cover all Tickets other than Season Tickets. You may return an unused Ticket or Tickets to the original retailer or Train Company from whom it was/they were purchased, where you will be given a full refund with no administration fee charged, if you decide not to travel because the train you intended to use is:

• cancelled, or
• delayed, or
• rescheduled after you have purchased a Ticket or Tickets, or
• your reservation will not be honoured

As it isn't stated how much it has to be delayed, then any delay is eligible, however short, provided (and I know that's not really enforceable/verifiable) it is genuinely the reason why you chose not to travel using that ticket.

 

[Watershed]

Unfortunately this one of the many situations where the industry doesn't provide good alternatives to passengers. It seems to prefer for passengers to be delayed and claim Delay Repay than arrive on time even if it's on another TOC!

It's exactly the kind of madness that should have been eliminated through the cross-DfTO ticket acceptance which was put in place a while back, but that only covers cancellations - which leaves the situation just as bad as before for delays and missed connections.

Coming to the OP, they are fully entitled to a refund of their LNER Advance (which would be claimed from the retailer, i.e. LNER in this case) since the booked train was delayed and they therefore decided not to use it. There is no threshold for how delayed a train must be for there to be a right to claim a disruption related rerfund.

There is no clear right to claim back the difference between the cost of the LNER Advance and the Off-Peak ticket the OP bought for the TPE train they ended up catching. That said, the OP could contact LNER customer services and ask them to consider paying this difference as a gesture of goodwill, and LNER are one of the more generous TOCs when it comes to this kind of thing (in my experience).

 

[redreni]

The trouble is, if all the trains are running late, the whole point of Advances is you can't take the train that arrives roughly when your booked train was supposed to arrive, you have to wait until your booked train arrives later on. This would be the case even if all the trains in question were operated by the same company (though I accept, of course, the likelihood of discretion being shown in that case would be greater).

As others have mentioned above, this is a case where the OP elected not to travel on his original ticket because the train was delayed, so a refund is in order. I hope the replacement ticket wasn't too much dearer / any dearer than the original?

 

[AdamK325]

Thanks all for your advice, I’ll get in touch with LNER and see what they say.

I hope the replacement ticket wasn't too much dearer / any dearer than the original?

The original advance ticket was £10.30, the off peak single was £20 (with 26-30 railcard discount)

 

[Starmill]

Thanks all for your advice, I’ll get in touch with LNER and see what they say.



The original advance ticket was £10.30, the off peak single was £20 (with 26-30 railcard discount)

As LNER were the merchant their customer service should offer to cancel your original ticket and send you the money for that back, as a minimum. Your message should make it clear you didn't actually use it. I suspect they will do this for you without issues, as hinted by @Wallsendmag .

If you wanted more than that back, this situation is a mess and will likely be difficult to handle. @Watershed has put it well above.

 

[Hadders]

But I see no reason why a refund would be refused if you attach your replacement tickets, I'm sure that'd be okay.

There is no right to a refund on an Advance ticket. You can explain the situation to customer services but they could say no. (I'm not saying they should say no but they could do so).

 

[Bletchleyite]

There is no right to a refund on an Advance ticket. You can explain the situation to customer services but they could say no. (I'm not saying they should say no but they could do so).

There is if you chose not to travel because the train was delayed.

 

[Wallsendmag]

There is if you chose not to travel because the train was delayed.

This exactly.

 

[Hadders]

There is if you chose not to travel because the train was delayed.

This exactly.

Having re-read the thread, I agree.

Fundamentally, the OP really shouldn’t have needed to purchase a new ticket given the circumstances.