Train question re. pre-booked seat

Bogof_Babe

Update - well my first train was not just late, it was cancelled! There was flooding further down the line apparently.

Anyway when I'd finished panicing the very nice chap in the ticket office sorted me out an alternate route which, although including three changes, did manage to let me catch up with the second train I should have been on, only from Crewe instead of Manchester Piccadilly, having gone the long way round. It was heaving (only two coaches instead of the usual three) and my reserved seat was occupied, but the lovely young lady in it gave it up for me, presumably on the "age before beauty" principle . Everyone shifted up a bit, so she was able to perch on the edge of the row opposite.

I must add that I met some delightful people during the day, who went out of their way to help me, passengers as well as rail staff, so just in case any of them read this, a big thank you for turning my ordeal into a pleasure :T .

Thank you also for all the replies - very informative, and I now know what to do or expect if there is a next time!

babs2008

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Update - well my first train was not just late, it was cancelled! There was flooding further down the line apparently.

quote]

I once got a full refund on a cancelled train from edinburgh to london, plus I was allowed to get on the next available one without further charge.

Bogof_Babe

Ooh, I seem to have missed a trick there. I suppose I should have asked for a claim form at the time.

Still it was only a £13 ticket, and I did get home alright even though it was a bit more complicated. I was talking to a student travelling from Edinburgh to North Wales, and apparently her ticket had cost £110, so for long journeys it would be well worth claiming.

Livingthedream

Do a google search for the Train company that you traveled with followed by compensation form ie 'virgin trains compensation form' you might find one online then post it and your tickets and see what happens. I've done that in the past and its worked

Voyager2002

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Ooh, I seem to have missed a trick there. I suppose I should have asked for a claim form at the time.

Still it was only a £13 ticket, and I did get home alright even though it was a bit more complicated. I was talking to a student travelling from Edinburgh to North Wales, and apparently her ticket had cost £110, so for long journeys it would be well worth claiming.

It sounds as if you arrived at the time you had planned, even though your journey was somewhat complicated. You could only expect compensation if you had arrived late, or had not been able to use your reserved seat.

Furthermore, they are not obliged to compensate you for delays resulting from things like flooding that are outside their control, although in practice they do often give refunds for this. I recently had a nightmare day-trip to London (job interview): I arrived in London two hours late, and then my train home was also two hours late. I filled in a complaint form and they sent me vouchers to the value of my train ticket, along with a letter explaining that since the delays resulted from flooding they were not obliged to give me anything, but were doing so as a sign of goodwill.

Bogof_Babe

Livingthedream wrote: »

Do a google search for the Train company that you traveled with followed by compensation form ie 'virgin trains compensation form' you might find one online then post it and your tickets and see what happens. I've done that in the past and its worked

Can't do that as I handed in my tickets at the exit at my destination. Have to agree with Voyager that the inconvenience was pretty minimal on the scale of things, and also the train operator (Arriva) had no control over flooding due to bad weather, so I think I'll let it go this time.

Livingthedream

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Can't do that as I handed in my tickets at the exit at my destination. Have to agree with Voyager that the inconvenience was pretty minimal on the scale of things, and also the train operator (Arriva) had no control over flooding due to bad weather, so I think I'll let it go this time.

Ok no problem, but one for the future, if you ever do have to claim compensation you will need your ticket as its required by the claims form, just tell the station staff at the ticket barrier your intent to claim and that you need to keep your tickets.