Train Lost My Carriage

ddavis25

Hi all,

I recently booked to travel with East Midland trains from Sheffield to London. The journey down was as expected. But on the way back when I arrived at the train the carriages went from A straight to C without a B carriage, where my seats where reserved. i asked one train guard and he made us walk to the other end of the platform to find the carriage that just wasn't there.

By this time we had to get on the train as it was leaving shortly.

After an hour or so, of standing up, we asked another inspector about where our seats where and he told us they had lost it between Derby and another station.

I was wondering where do I stand on this matter? Should I just leave it or is it worth complaining?

Thanks

Dani

4743hudsonj

ddavis25 wrote: »

Hi all,

I recently booked to travel with East Midland trains from Sheffield to London. The journey down was as expected. But on the way back when I arrived at the train the carriages went from A straight to C without a B carriage, where my seats where reserved. i asked one train guard and he made us walk to the other end of the platform to find the carriage that just wasn't there.

By this time we had to get on the train as it was leaving shortly.

After an hour or so, of standing up, we asked another inspector about where our seats where and he told us they had lost it between Derby and another station.

I was wondering where do I stand on this matter? Should I just leave it or is it worth complaining?

Thanks

Dani

if you paid extra simply write an email to their head office and ask for a refund or 50% (one way) on the extra you paid

rl290

Friends' experiences with dealing with train companies are that if you write, you will often receive compensation to some degree. Writing can't help, so if the ticket was expensive then pursue this.

Apples2

ddavis25 wrote: »

without a B carriage, where my seats where reserved.

I was wondering where do I stand on this matter?

In the pool of urine between carriages.

dmg24

Seat reservations are free, and never guaranteed. You will not get compensated as you received what you paid for.

Crabman

dmg24 wrote: »

Seat reservations are free, and never guaranteed. You will not get compensated as you received what you paid for.

Virgin Trains guarantee their seat reservations and I've received compensation as per their passenger charter when a seat reservation has been unavailable.

Viper_7

Seat Reservations may not be guaranteed - but a seat should be!
If one doesn't get a seat, I think you should get half the price of the ticket back.

There seems to be no laws about how many people can board a train.
Cars can be overloaded, as can busses/coaches/planes. However on a train, it seems anything goes.
About time they hit them with the big H&S book and don't allow standing, then we'll soon see how inadequate the trains really are. They only get by, by cramming people on like sardines.
Why bother with seats if this is the way forward. Just have a standing carriage only - and charge less for such tickets. They will cram even more people on, and more people may actually use the train as the standing prices would be more palatable, although survival much less when they de-rail.

System

Viper_7 wrote: »

although survival much less when they de-rail.

If you pack them tight enough then you only lose the outer ones :rolleyes:

trisontana

This from the new East Coast company's "Delay, Repay and Seat Guarantee" leaflet:-

If you have reserved a seat for your journey and that seat is not available, our staff will do their best to find you an alternative. However if we cannot find an alternative seat we will make a refund on the following basis:

If your ticket is single, we will give you compensation of 100% of the value: and

If your ticket is a return, we will give you compensation of 50% of the value.

So it does look as though it's worth claiming for that compensation.

Esqui

How can you lose a train carriage? Did it get lost down the back of the sofa or something?

oldagetraveller

Probably not "lost" but possibly withdrawn from service because of a problem, eg. mechanical or other defect?
Or the train company underestimated the number of passengers for your leg of the journey and took it out to save a bit of fuel/energy thinking it and the seats might not be needed.
Write a complaint to them though, their behaviour is not on!