Help me! Tickets cancelled due to strike and where do I stand!

Kat99

hi there, I need some advice on where I stand with the rail strikes. I booked a ticket for London to Liverpool for the 5th April to get there early in the morning. Unfortunately now the train has been cancelled. The alternative route the Trainline has given will get me there after my meeting. I can't afford to stay in a hotel Thursday night and I have to be there on Friday. What I can do is travel to Stoke on Thursday night and stay with family, then get a local train across in the am.
After talking with the trainline, who told me to speak to Avanti who passed me back to the trainline who could do nothing but speak from a script! have told me to speak to Avanti (I haven't done this yet as haven't been able to get the time). Basically the Trainline have told me they will give me a refund for my initial ticket and I can buy a new one to stoke, but the tickets are almost 3 times as much (and I still have to pay for the train from Buxton to Liverpool in the morning). 
What I need to know is where do I stand on this? Am I liable as a customer for the extra costs because of the strike? It doesn't feel like I am but both Avanti and the Trainline have been completely unwilling to help!

Please help, any advice would be great!

mdann52

You need to check the Avanti Strike Pages. They have said that:

As industrial action is affecting a variety of train companies between 5 April and 8 April, easements have been agreed so that the date validity of your pre-booked ticket (bought before the industrial action was announced on 20 March) is now more flexible.

Tickets dated between Friday 5 April and Monday 8 April can be used any time from Thursday 4 April up until Wednesday 10 April.

As long as you bought your ticket before the 20th March, you can use it on the 4th April

Kat99

@mdann52 thanks so much for your comment

I have spoken to Avanti and the trainline on multiple occasions. Sadly this is not the case.

I can indeed travel to Liverpool on the 4th, without any issues. HOWEVER, I would be travelling up and essentially have to sleep in the station as I have nowhere to stay. I DO have a place to stay in stoke but Avanti and the Trainline have said they won't honour the ticket

Whatevers way I look at it I'm either out of pocket £50 for a ticket to Stoke (if I get a refund for my £20 ticket to Liverpool) or I'm out by over £100 for a hotel in Liverpool on the Thursday night. 

Both feel highly unfair given I paid for my ticket back in early February to get it at the cheapest price. Has I known I wouldn't have gone but now there is no other way around it and I have to be there on Friday.

mdann52

Ah yes, missed the break in journey aspect of this....

Yes the advance will have a "no break in journey" restriction on it. Avanti can waive this but they would have to endorse the ticket accordingly, this is a rare case where asking at the ticket office might help.

Unfortunately otherwise a refund is the best option, unfortunately.

MilesT6060842

You are likely to be able to get a cheaper ticket London-Stoke via a split ticket website, or manually.  My experience for splits on that route is travel from London on WMR/LNWR to and split at Stafford, and a "local" ticket (any operator) to Stoke.

DanielDeronda

I'm in the same boat where I was supposed to be travelling back to Reading from Chester on Friday 5th, on am Avanti WC service to Stafford then a Cross Country service to Reading.

This is now impossible on 5th & I can't travel back on 4th or 6th, I have other commitments on 5th I can't move.

I've found an itinerary for 2 TPCs not on strike on 5th a TfW service from Chester to Newport then GWR to Reading. It would be £37 single with a Railcard & split tickets 

As this is the only available service to get me home on train, do you think TfW & GWR will accept my original tickets? I can't see any ticket acceptance on any website re different TOCs.

My tickets r all flexible on any route permitted, an anytime day single from Chester to Stafford then 3 off peak returns from Stafford to Reading (return leg). Only time restrictions.

I don't want to pay for an additional ticket that I don't have to. And I've already paid nearly £70 in tickets & refunds take time especially round strike day.

All tickets bought on Virgin Trains Ticketing app.

Sorry for long-winded email. Hope it gets resolved in my favour!!

Let me know if u need any more info.