Refund of Taxi Fare by Train Operator??

dzug1

It's possible that the information you were given was correct at the time you were given it, but the situation changed in course of the journey.


Whose information desk was it? I don't recall there being one on the platform on my last visit to Gatwick


Still worth a complaint though

silvasava

Thank you for the responses.
Yorkie2 - we got on to the platform at about 10am. Dzug1 - the information desk was to the right of the entrance area opposite the train information screens. Don't know if it was a 'pop up' one for information due to industrial action though! I don't think the information would have changed during our journey to Brighton as Brighton informed us there were no trains at all and double checked for us - they also gave us claim forms without being prompted so gold star to them!

We'll submit a claim and see what happens - I will post and let you know the result - thanks again.

agrinnall

The one good thing is that Gatwick Airport station appears to be run by Southern, and it's likely that your booked tickets and your side trip to Brighton were on Southern trains, so hopefully there will be no buck passing.

yorkie2

There was a train from Brighton that'd have got you to Portsmouth (by changing at Havant)... but not until 1701! so unless you wanted a day out in Brighton, you should not have been given that advice.

There were trains from Three Bridges to Chichester, but then a 10 mile gap of no trains (other than the aforementioned train departing Brighton at 1701) between Chichester & Havant, for which you'd have had to get a bus (or taxi). Not the best advice, but would have been manageable.

Sending you to Brighton was inexcusable!

The correct advice would have been to get a GWR train from Gatwick to Guildford, then an SWT train from there to Portsmouth.

The train company managing Gatwick Station is Govia Thameslink Railway, under their "Southern" route branding. It was GTR staff who were striking and I agree with the previous poster it would have been their train you'd normally have got, so definitely shouldn't be any buck passing!

silvasava

Thank you for that info Yorkie - the Brighton staff did give us the correct information but as we had an 82 year old with us & we'd been travelling since 4.30 PM the previous day it wasn't fair to make her face about another 2-3 hours travelling when we could be home in an hour by taxi.
DS1 is draftng a letter & I will post the outcome

Kim_13

The only way to get a taxi paid for by a train operator is for them to arrange it for you/agree it when there is no train or replacement bus to get you to the destination.

They don't care how late you are - one journey I made once would have meant I was stranded at a station for 4 hours because of their cancellations on a limited service. I was only able to get back the cost of the ticket.

That said this was a few years ago so we can but hope that things have improved in the interim - good luck.

silvasava

No response so far within the 20 day timescale (its 40 now) so DS has sent a 'firm' email reminding them!