Weather disruption caused in 2014, and how to prevent it happening again - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Tim]

Seat reservations and all advance purchase tickets for journeys west of Taunton suspended until a revised timetable is drawn up.

I understand why this is done.  But is does seem rather unfair that when the service is degraded the response is to put travel costs up due to non-availability of APs.  Hopefully they can be unsuspended once the rail replacement service is better established. 

[SandTEngineer]

Well here is the link to the petition to reopen the Okehampton connection: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/60302

[ChrisB]

Now closed south of Castle Cary/Weston-Super-Mare and Taunton.

Only way into Exeter is via Salisbury.

"The flood water has risen up to just beneath thr [Bridgwater] signal box, therefore these have had to be switched off for safety"

[stebbo]

Now find out in the Daily Telegraph this morning that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) wanted to carry out work on the sea wall at Dawlish a month or two back but the Environment Agency insisted on carrying out a survey of the local bird life.

I've signed the petition (see post above) for re-opening of the Okehampton to Plymouth route. How about another petition to demand the resignation of the Chairman and Chief Exec of the Environment Agency?

[ChrisB]

Chris Patten?.....seconded!

[JayMac]

Really is a bit of a nightmare out there today.

I have a friend trying to get from Totnes to Bridgwater. He has to take a train to Newton Abbot, then a bus to Exeter (sea wall collapse), then another bus to Taunton (Whitball Tunnel engineering), and finally a bus to Bridgwater (flooding at Fordgate near Bridwater). Journey is expected to take 3^ hours.

He also asked me if he was entitled to any compensation. Fortunately his original plan was to travel with CrossCountry to Exeter, so he should get a full refund. Would've been a lottery had he chosen FGW^▸ (First Great Western). They're not obliged to offer compensation for weather related disruption.

[ChrisB]

But aren't XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) canx to/from Bristol owing to the weather?

[JayMac]

Friend had a seat reservation with XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) on Totnes to Exeter St David's leg, booked before Sea Wall collapse.

By my reckoning that entitles him to compensation from XC's Delay Repay. Had he been booked onto a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service I'm not sure he'd have got money back, excepting a goodwill gesture.

I know it's something of a money-go-round, but FGW and XC are being compensated by Network Rail for every train they can't run between Exeter and Newton Abbot. FGW are not obliged to pass any compensation on to their passengers, wheras XC are.

[ChrisB]

Indeed, that's the advantage of the DElay / Repay schemes

[SandTEngineer]

Also at present the SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services to/from Exeter are becoming severely delayed and even cancelled.  We are gradually losing our train services in the SW....

[bobm]

The line from Taunton (Cogload) to Bristol via Bridgwater reopened at 3pm.

[SandTEngineer]

Well just for a little bit of light relief from all the gloom.  Found this on the NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) website as an alternative route between Penzance and London :

[bobm]

Just had this from FGW^▸ (First Great Western)

FGW confirms 25% discount on walk-up fares for services affected by line closure

First Great Western has confirmed it will be offering discounted fares to customers travelling on its services affected by the closure of the railway at Dawlish.

Yesterday, Network Rail confirmed that the damage to the track will take at least six weeks to fix, and trains will not be able to run between Exeter and Plymouth during that time. Instead, First Great Western has ordered hundreds of buses to provide alternative transport between the two cities while the track is repaired.

Volunteers from other areas of the business, who have been supporting our efforts to keep customers moving in the area are expected to be joined by colleagues from other FirstGroup rail companies throughout the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) over the weekend.

A 25 per cent discount will apply to all walk-up fares - including Any time, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak and weekly season tickets - for journeys that pass through the affected area, and will remain in place until the line reopens. The same discount will apply to monthly and annual season tickets on a pro-rata basis. Holders of these season tickets will be contacted directly with details of how this rebate will be applied.

Advance Purchase fares will also be reintroduced on the route for combined bus and rail fares from Wednesday next week. The company has been unable to offer Advance Purchase tickets ^ which are tied to specific trains - since Wednesday, as we were unable to guarantee which trains would be running.

First Great Western Managing Director, Mark Hopwood said: ^We recognise that this work will mean customers are inconvenienced, and journey times are likely to take longer than normal as we look at alternative ways of getting customers to where they need to go. We want our prices to reflect that.

^No-one should lose out because of this. FGW's promise is that anyone who has been unable to purchase an Advance Purchase ticket because they were removed from the system and paid more than they would have done normally, will be reimbursed the difference.

[Tim]

Well done FGW^▸ (First Great Western).  That has won my respect. 

[JayMac]

I'll echo that sentiment, Tim. A positive move by FGW^▸ (First Great Western). And there was me complaining about compensation arrangements an hour ago.

I've asked FGW, via social media, whether the various Rovers and Day Rangers valid through the affected area will also be discounted.

Meanwhile in Somerset, video of a HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) attempting to get through the floods between Bridgwater and Taunton:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26084245