Train delay - who is responsible?

yorkie2

martinbuckley wrote: »

Its somewhat ironic that the only person giving out incorrect/misleading information was the Board Guide!

I didn't notice that!

I think it works on a similar basis to National Rail Enquiries (NRE); people answering questions are not required to have a decent standard of knowledge, and - when they are unsure - simply make a guess or even just make it up as they go along.

Mike1983

If I can post a similar query....

I travelled Sheffield - Doncaster (10 mins connection) Doncaster - London.

SHF - DON on Transpenine was 22 mins late. However my train to London was also delayed leaving Doncaster by 26 mins meaning I was able to make the connection. The later Virgin train ended up arriving in London 35 mins late. The journeys were on separate tickets.

I presume TP will say they got me to Doncaster within 30 mins and I was able to catch the train I intended therefore I should go to Virgin for my delay repay claim?

Any advice before I submit much appreciated.

Mike

martinbuckley

I believe you have answered your own question. You had separate tickets, so your journey "contracts" were with two different TOC.

Geoff1963

If the second train had been the last one of the day, then you would have been delayed several hours.

wealdroam

martinbuckley wrote: »

I believe you have answered your own question. You had separate tickets, so your journey "contracts" were with two different TOC.

Unfortunately, you too have made a mistake.

Condition 14 of The National Rail Conditions of Travel tells us:

...you may use a combination of two or more Tickets to make a journey provided that the train services you use call at the station(s) where you change from one Ticket to another.

Therefore, in a similar manner to your journey, Mike1983's journey was from Sheffield to London and it is the time of his arrival at London that is significant in this context.

As his arrival in London was over thirty minutes late, compensation is due.
Compensation should be sought from Virgin Trains East Coast, as it was their train being late that caused the late arrival at Mike1983's destination.

Geoff1963

Sounds to me as if the regulations should have some worked examples.

surreysaver

heatherw_01 wrote: »

Virgin only refund for 30 mins or more delay
https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/refunds

The connecting train was not late

But the OP couldn't make the connecting train because the Virgin train was late. So the OP had to catch the next train, resulting in a 66 minute delay. Therefore the OP was 66 minutes late because of a delay to Virgin's train, which meets the criteria for a 30 minute delay for compensation.

yorkie2

Mike1983 wrote: »

If I can post a similar query....

I travelled Sheffield - Doncaster (10 mins connection) Doncaster - London.

SHF - DON on Transpenine was 22 mins late. However my train to London was also delayed leaving Doncaster by 26 mins meaning I was able to make the connection. The later Virgin train ended up arriving in London 35 mins late. The journeys were on separate tickets.

I presume TP will say they got me to Doncaster within 30 mins and I was able to catch the train I intended therefore I should go to Virgin for my delay repay claim?

Any advice before I submit much appreciated.

Mike

You have a valid claim. You are entitled to make one journey on two tickets.

If you had missed the connection, and ended up on a later Virgin Trains service, I'd claim from TPE.

As you made the connection, I would claim from Virgin Trains.

Make sure your claim is concise and accurate, e.g. state your journey was from Sheffield to London and the total price of the tickets was £x, and so on. Take one photograph of all the tickets. I'd use the online form, so they can't lose it.

yorkie2

martinbuckley wrote: »

I believe you have answered your own question. You had separate tickets, so your journey "contracts" were with two different TOC.

Both contracts state that you may combine two or more tickets for one journey.

martinbuckley

martinbuckley wrote: »

I've sent it back to them and am awaiting a reply.

Virgin now accept that they were responsible for a 66 minute delay and have sent a full refund of the tickets.