Taking a Complaint Further (CrossCountry Trains)

lufcgirl

On Saturday 26th July, I got to Newcastle train station and purchased a YP saver return ticket to go to Exeter on the 6.19am train, returning on the Sunday 28th July at 15.23. Both of these services were direct, enabling me to get a seat and comfortably use my laptop for the dreaded 6 hour journey.

The problems started ten minutes into the journey, we were around five minutes from Durham station, where the train announcer came on and said there was indefinite delays from this point forward to Darlington (which should only take 25mins). In the end I found the conductor and asked if he had any idea of length of time for the delay as I'd only be in Exeter 27 hours before coming home. He said he had no idea, so I chose to get off the train as soon as it reached Durham (after an hour of delays). The delay was due to signal problems which I found out the next week (and I also found out the train was terminated at Birmingam, three hours away from my destination)
I then went back to Newcastle and instead caught a flight which was another £150 on top of the £92.25 I had already paid.

On the Monday morning, I went into Newcastle train station and the woman kindly exchanged my tickets for ones the following week. However I was still looking to make a complaint about the lack of service on-board the train and the delays and inconvenience caused. As I am aware, CrossCountry isn't Virgin anymore so I have no idea who to contact or what to say.

Would anybody be able to help me?

ElegantlyWasted

Have you looked on the XC Trains website for their contact details?

There's a Customer Relations address at the bottom of the page - http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/AboutCrossCountry/ContactUs.aspx

Are you actually complaining about the fact that the train was delayed due to signalling problems? I *think* that line maintenance, and therefore signalling issues, is the responsibility of Network Rail, not the individual companies. I may be wrong now, but it used to be that way.
If you're delayed for 2 or more hours, then the train company would have given complimentary beverages (ie, a polystyrene cup of coffee :rolleyes:), but that's about as far as it goes. Some delays are unavoidable.
As you've already had your tickets changed for a different date at no extra charge, then I doubt if you'll be compensated financially.

The conductor probably had as much clue as you did as to when the train would have arrived in Exeter; it's unfortunately not an exact science when there are problems on the line.

Brooker_Dave

lufcgirl wrote: »

On Saturday 26th July, I got to Newcastle train station and purchased a YP saver return ticket to go to Exeter on the 6.19am train, returning on the Sunday 28th July at 15.23. Both of these services were direct, enabling me to get a seat and comfortably use my laptop for the dreaded 6 hour journey.

The problems started ten minutes into the journey, we were around five minutes from Durham station, where the train announcer came on and said there was indefinite delays from this point forward to Darlington (which should only take 25mins). In the end I found the conductor and asked if he had any idea of length of time for the delay as I'd only be in Exeter 27 hours before coming home. He said he had no idea, so I chose to get off the train as soon as it reached Durham (after an hour of delays). The delay was due to signal problems which I found out the next week (and I also found out the train was terminated at Birmingam, three hours away from my destination)
I then went back to Newcastle and instead caught a flight which was another £150 on top of the £92.25 I had already paid.

On the Monday morning, I went into Newcastle train station and the woman kindly exchanged my tickets for ones the following week. However I was still looking to make a complaint about the lack of service on-board the train and the delays and inconvenience caused. As I am aware, CrossCountry isn't Virgin anymore so I have no idea who to contact or what to say.

Would anybody be able to help me?

Were you really only on the train for 20 minutes before giving up and taking a flight instead??

What are you actually expecting anyone to do?

Altarf

ElegantlyWasted wrote: »

If you're delayed for 2 or more hours, then the train company would have given complimentary beverages (ie, a polystyrene cup of coffee), but that's about as far as it goes.

Not true.

There is a compensation scheme in place, and for CrossCountry Trains that is
50% refund of the single ticket price (or 25% of a return) for delays between 30 and 59 minutes,
100% refund of the single ticket price (or 50% of a return) for delays over an hour,
100% refund of a return ticket for delays over 2 hours.

So the OP should get a full refund on their return ticket, if they get a wiggle on and submit their claim as it needs to be within 28 days of the date of travel, and they will have needed to have kept their train ticket as it is needed for the claim.

sweep9

Hasn't the OP been given a 100% refund by getting replacement tickets for the week after?

Altarf

Sorry, missed that. So yes, she will get nothing.

lufcgirl

I was actually talking about the lack of customer service. For a small trip between Newcastle and Durham...it took one hour and 45 mins, which resulted in me getting off the train as the conductor had no clue as to when we'd arrive at our destination or what the delays were for. It was only later I found out.
I went to the beverage cart, and the woman asked where I was travelling to, I told her and she said 'rather you than me, you'll be lucky if you get there before 4pm'..so I think that was just cause for me to get off the train.

The replacement tickets were brilliant and I'm very thankful for that, I don't want money, I want an explanation as to why whenever you ask train staff a question, they don't have a clue.

ElegantlyWasted

Altarf wrote: »

Not true.

There is a compensation scheme in place, and for CrossCountry Trains that is
50% refund of the single ticket price (or 25% of a return) for delays between 30 and 59 minutes,
100% refund of the single ticket price (or 50% of a return) for delays over an hour,
100% refund of a return ticket for delays over 2 hours.

So the OP should get a full refund on their return ticket, if they get a wiggle on and submit their claim as it needs to be within 28 days of the date of travel, and they will have needed to have kept their train ticket as it is needed for the claim.

My mistake, sorry. It used to be the case that complimentary beverages were provided after a two-hour delay, though this was when Virgin worked the line.
I thought there would be a refund for the tickets, but the OP said they had already re-arranged travel at the train station.

lufcgirl - If you're disappointed with the customer service on the train, then hopefully the link I put in my first post will help you to get in touch with CrossCountry. The conductor would have known what time the train should arrive in Exeter, if there were no problems on the line. The trouble with problems with the signals, is that often the train staff don't know how long the delay will be, it's just as long as it takes, IYSWIM?

Brooker_Dave

lufcgirl wrote: »

I was actually talking about the lack of customer service. For a small trip between Newcastle and Durham...it took one hour and 45 mins, which resulted in me getting off the train as the conductor had no clue as to when we'd arrive at our destination or what the delays were for.

They should be supplied with crystal balls....

uktim29

lufcgirl wrote: »

as the conductor had no clue as to what the delays were for.

If he didn't know then he didn't know. Why did you need to know? We're you planning to go and fix it yourself if you knew what the problem was?

dmg24

As others have said, the likelihood is that nobody knew at what time you would be arriving at your final destination. The alternative would be the conductor giving you a time, which could then be wrong, and then you would be complaining that he gave you incorrect information.

I absolutely hate it when I ring for a taxi and get told it will be five mins, only for me to have to call back in ten mins to be told that it will definitely be there in ten mins (which it inevitably is not!). Surely it is better for the conductor/ taxi operator to be honest, and just say that they don't know?