Selling first class tickets to travelers when service has beensuspended ?

steveharvey2001

As part of a wedding anniversary day out, that has been planned a few weeks ago, I had planed to take my wife on a trip to Edinburgh, travelling first class, starting from Glasgow, where we had been staying in the city centre.

At Queen St station, I had purchased 2 first class return tickets for over £40 each but when we boarded the train we found that there was NO first class carriage.

After some quick online research, I found this story.

http://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/scotrail-temporarily-suspend-first-class-14015520.

So, thanks to a ticket machine that was selling first class tickets for a train service with only standard class accommodation, I have wasted about £50.

Would I have any entitlement to a refund ?

agrinnall

According to the Scotrail Glasgow - Edinburgh timetable it's not every train:

"For the duration of this timetable a number of trains on this route will not have first class accommodation."

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/assets/download_ct/sr1712_glasgow-edinburgh_via_falkirk_high_12195_web.pdf

Was the ticket that you bought for a specific train, or could you use it on a selection of trains?

Andy_L

What have ScotRail said when you contacted them?

glider3560

This is what the National Rail Conditions of Travel state:

31. Travelling in standard class accommodation with a first class Ticket
31.1
If you have a first class Ticket and the train service you use is shown as
offering first class accommodation at www.nationalrail.co.uk, but when you
travel first class accommodation is not provided or is otherwise fully
occupied, you may claim a refund. The minimum refund to which you will
be entitled will be the difference between the price of the first class Ticket
purchased and the cheapest valid standard class fare available on the service
you used.
31.2
If you hold a first class Season Ticket, the minimum to which you will be
entitled will be a refund of the difference between the first class and standard
class fare for the journey concerned.

In effect, they are saying you will only get a refund if the train was advertised as having first class but it did not.

zerog

There is barely any difference between 1st and standard classes on this sort of route. The purpose of 1st class is for commuters to get a seat at peak times.