Thameslink delays compensation

reehsetin

I have a season ticket and I am likely eligible for enhanced compensation due to recent flooding issues on the track, it's been a nightmare since last week. I looked at the compensation process and it ask for individual journey times and length of delay for each day. I just don't make note of my start and end times whenever I'm on a train so no idea how I could reliably give them the data.

Anyone else in the same boat?
Is there somewhere I can look up the actual train journey times for the last couple of weeks, I can definitely pin point the actual trains I was on for all or most journeys... most days there were barely any trains.
It would be great if they could verify via my ticket when I entered and exited the stations but assuming because it's a paper ticket they can't or won't.

Do I really have to log every journey in case I need to make a claim? What a pain - no doubt why most travellers won't claim at all

wealdroam

reehsetin wrote: »

I just don't make note of my start and end times whenever I'm on a train so no idea how I could reliably give them the data.

That's a pity.
You need reliable data in order to make any claim... otherwise how do you know what to claim?

reehsetin wrote: »

Do I really have to log every journey in case I need to make a claim?

Yes, probably a good idea.

reehsetin

wealdroam wrote: »

That's a pity.
You need reliable data in order to make any claim... otherwise how do you know what to claim?.

I understand that, but all the same there's been absolutely terrible service for the past 2 weeks, they don't need me to tell them that - in an ideal world where the service is so bad, automatic refunds should be made available to those with season tickets as they undoubtedly have been affected.

I've found I have my google location history saved so I know my start and journey end times but I still couldn't on a claim form make a note of the exact train I took (they want the scheduled departure time for a specific train.

gromit24

I have made claims for services in my area (Greater Manchester) by looking on national rail enquires website to find the times that the trains are scheduled to run near to when I departed. The other option would be to pick up a timetable from a station and do it that way.

From what I understand these delays are due to burst water main. So it is highly likely that Thameslink will only have a quick look at the forms before processing it as there will be too many to investigate each one thoroughly.

reehsetin

I found http://www.recenttraintimes.co.uk/ which is really helpful and should hopefully give me enough data to make the claim - hope it's helpful to anyone else with the same issue.

yorkie2

reehsetin wrote: »

Is there somewhere I can look up the actual train journey times for the last couple of weeks....

There is no website that will do what you ask for your journey.

There are websites that will say how delayed particular trains were, but that's not quite the same thing.

For example, every train could be 35 minutes late, but if that was the case your journey would likely be only 5 minites late, and so any claim for a 35 minute delay would be fraudulent. I am not in any way saying that is the case here, but simply demonstrating the potential dangers of such websites.

reehsetin wrote: »

Do I really have to log every journey in case I need to make a claim? What a pain - no doubt why most travellers won't claim at all

Yes, you need to tell them what journey you intended to make, and how delayed you actually were.

The delay to the trains isn't what matters; it's the delay to your journey.

reehsetin

yorkie2 wrote: »

Yes, you need to tell them what journey you intended to make, and how delayed you actually were.
The delay to the trains isn't what matters; it's the delay to your journey.

Thanks for the info, this is what I hoped but the claim form's just confused me totally, I have the actual time departed and arrived for each trip timestamped on my phone, I'm in no way advocating providing fraudulent journey info

I get the same train 95% of the time so my claim should be simple as. What's confused me is they ask for 'What was the scheduled departure time? (hh:mm)' - not 'what was YOUR scheduled departure time'. So say I'm there ready at the platform at my normal 6pm train,

a) the 6pm doesn't turn up, I get on the next possible train which happens to be the 4.30pm train delayed from earlier in the day that arrives at 6.30 and I get that train instead. Length of delay to my normal journey is 30minutes, but what's the start time to put on the form 4.30 start time or 6pm? (I realise either way would be a successful claim in this case I'm just trying to figure out what info is correct to note down).

b) or, again the 6pm doesn't turn up, there's no fast trains for an hour but at 6.10 there's a slow train which is running on time, but I arrive back 45minutes later, I'm delayed, my journey's delayed, but the train I actually went on was on time....

I still haven't managed to fill in my claim form either way, it;s giving me a headache just thinking about it. Maybe I'm overthinking it, who knows.

trukdiver

yorkie2 wrote: »

The delay to the trains isn't what matters; it's the delay to your journey.

What if you miss a connection because the first train was late? Is it OK to claim for the total delay?

wealdroam

trukdiver wrote: »

What if you miss a connection because the first train was late? Is it OK to claim for the total delay?

Only if that results in a delay in you reaching your final destination.

trukdiver

wealdroam wrote: »

Only if that results in a delay in you reaching your final destination.

If the connection is the final stage of the journey, then it would lead to a delay in reaching the final destination. The first train might only be late by 10 minutes but that may cause you to miss the connecting train and have to wait an hour for the next one.

Also, what happens with advance tickets. e.g. if stage 1 is with Virgin and stage 2 is with London Midland. If you miss the specified LM train because the Virgin train was late, do you need to buy another ticket?

bookgirl_2

I've always taken it to mean the extra time for a journey compared to the train you were planning to get.

So if you normally get the 1630, which gets you to your destination at 1700, I would claim for any delay that got me to the destination after 1730 (if that train operator uses a 30 minute minimum).