Channel Four, Dispatches - Train Journeys From Hell

[Dave]

Some of these posts are a bit over the top.

Most train managers/guards will wave you by with ana authorised to travel ticket if you can show your service you were booked for was missed due to a preceding late journey.

Validity is an issue. Your ticket to Stourbridge from Birmingham is not valid via Droitwich because it takes longer. Your ticket from Birmingham to London via Rugby IS valid on the Chiltern even though it takes longer. Both tickets are valid in their originating stations (New St and Moor St respectively)

[SwissFan91]

I seem to have only run into the strict, quite irritating train ticket operators. Such as paying an out-of-court settlement in order to prevent a magistrates hearing for a £2 Cross-City ticket in Birmingham.

[teccuk]

Some of these posts are a bit over the top.

Not at all, the principle should be, if its the networks fault you miss a connection they have to make good. With the rule the other way round, if they want to do you, they will.

I don't get TOC apologism, they get your fares and your tax money. Stuff them.

I didn't even understand the point on validity, and i suppose that the point, its too complicated.

What about the getting on or off early thing?

[andysine]

You do get various levels of compensation depending on how late your train is though.. I think a two hour delay is the whole amount of money back.

Nope. I've got a season ticket and I found out to my horror that my train has to be at least two hours late before I get any money back.

[GurraJG]

Whatever the exact rules are, they're a damn sight more complicated than they should be, that's for sure.

[Kevo00]

I seem to have only run into the strict, quite irritating train ticket operators. Such as paying an out-of-court settlement in order to prevent a magistrates hearing for a £2 Cross-City ticket in Birmingham.

That's ludicrous. Usually the police wouldn't bother prosecuting for such a small amount of money.

Some friends of mine who are not entirely au fait with the UK railway system, living in central London (bless em) came up to Milton Keynes to visit me and got whacked for £90 by an LM ticket inspector for some technicality or other on the way back (possibly the sneaky 'Virgin trains only' rule). Now they won't come to visit me again.

Thanks LM. And do some reading on customer care too.

[SwissFan91]

Ridiculous, aren't they? Despite me having the intent to buy a ticket, and clearly in a mad rush too. I believe the intent idea is the reasoning behind many prosecutions.

[Dave]

Still sub 40 for handling customers complaints/customer care on the Performance Charter.