Eurostar delays / ongoing FGW ticket validity

[whole diary]

[Btline]

This topic is split off the skicky topic "Keeping your rail fare down" at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4254.0 -- grahame

Can I just add to this, the cheaper the ticket, the less flexibility.  It's no good buying a ^7.50 YP railcard advanced ticket for the 23.30 from London to Cardiff, and expecting to travel on the 18.15 without the railcard and then moan when told pay up or leave.

Advanced tickets have NO flexibility built in. It doesn't matter how empty the train is, or how sick your granny is, or how early your flight was, or what the man on the platform said to you, if you miss the train for any reason that is not due to the railway network (and this does not include London Underground), or get on an earlier train - the ticket is not valid for any other service. And if you do not sort out your ticket at the ticket office, the only ticket we are obliged to sell on-train is the full ANYTIME ticket.

Please remember this, I don't like argueing with people on-train,  (or charge a couple ^150 for two tickets to Bristol when they thought they were doing the journey for ^20) I'd rather just stamp a valid ticket, say "Thank you" and move on! 

Flamingo - what about late Eurostar connections? Do guards allow people on later trains if their Eurostar service was late/cancelled? (bearing in mind the time it takes connecting from St Pancras to other BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) stations)

[inspector_blakey]

If you have a through Eurostar ticket to a UK^▸ (United Kingdom) station you are covered by the international conditions of carriage (CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers)): these oblige all the operators involved to carry you by the next available service in the event of a missed connection, so FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could not legitimately refuse to carry a passenger who had a through ticket from Europe to a UK destination who had arrived late on a Eurostar. The same applies to passengers holding tickets to "London International CIV", which can only be purchased in conjunction with a Eurostar journey, have no peak time restrictions and guarantee carriage by the next available service in the event of a missed connection.

If you have a normal advance ticket from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) and are miss your booked train because of a late Eurostar it then becomes at the discretion of FGW; I don't know what company policy is. In a similar situation there certainly used to be some leeway for pax arriving Reading on the RailAir coach who had missed their booked train due to a flight delay, although whether this still applies I do not know.

The moral of this story is always buy a London International CIV ticket if you're connecting into/out of Eurostar because this guarantees your connections on outward and return journeys.

[Btline]

Thanks for that IB. I should have clarified I was talking about ADVANCE tickets only. I do think they are covered if they are late because of Eurostar late running, but again, I will talk to a revenue monster next week to get a defintive answer.

Thanks for this help. Although Eurostar are reliable, I would like peace of mind that I won't be charged an Anytime fare if it all goes wrong.

I am sure FGW^▸ (First Great Western) must have had experience of this before.

[Ollie]

If you speak to Eurostar they will usually stamp your ticket (the Eurostar one) saying train was delayed, you should then if at all possible get your advance ticket stamped and endorsed before boarding.

[Btline]

If you speak to Eurostar they will usually stamp your ticket (the Eurostar one) saying train was delayed, you should then if at all possible get your advance ticket stamped and endorsed before boarding.

Thanks Ollie - I take it, they would allow me to keep my ticket on Arrival at St Pancras?

[Ollie]

If you speak to Eurostar they will usually stamp your ticket (the Eurostar one) saying train was delayed, you should then if at all possible get your advance ticket stamped and endorsed before boarding.

Thanks Ollie - I take it, they would allow me to keep my ticket on Arrival at St Pancras?

Yeah they should do. I've not known for it to be taken off of you, as it's the ticket they endorse to show the service was delayed.

[plejaren]

hmm i wonder what methods of `cheaper travel` that could possibly be

[devonian]

Does this apply to all operators?

If I travel from Ashford Int to Newton ABbot on an advance ticket and my SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) train is delayed/cancelled, what happens to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) leg? Can I get the next available service without being charged?

[grahame]

Does this apply to all operators?

If I travel from Ashford Int to Newton ABbot on an advance ticket and my SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) train is delayed/cancelled, what happens to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) leg? Can I get the next available service without being charged?

My understanding (plenty of people to correct me if I am wrong) is that you are entitled to use the next available service if your first / earlier leg main rail network operator is delayed or cancelled.  So the answer is "yes".  However, if you have not bought a through ticket but two tickets for the different legs, you are not entitled to use the second ticket on the next available serive if it's a restricted service.

It appears from reading this thread that Eurostar counts as a main rail network operator for the purposes of these rules, but the following are questionable ... can any of the rail staff give a yes / no for each to bring it in to a single thread for us - these are all public transport holdups that are not under the control of the traveller ...
1. Delay on underground
2. Delay on London Overground
3. Delay on a train service in Europe that feeds into Eurostar (Amsterdam to Chippenham ticket!)
4. Delay on a rail replacement bus service
5. Delay on a bus service operated by First that should connect
6. Delay on a ferry service (such as late boat arrival in Plymouth)
7. Delay on an aircraft service
8. Delay on a rail service such as Kingswear to Paignton
9. Missing connection due to boarding onto connecting train being denied due to overcrowding

[super tm]

To answer your question in one go  you will always be allowed to travel on the next service if your ticket is for the whole journey.

Example

Bude Bus to London.  Bus is delayed then you can travel on the next service

Exeter to London where you take a bus to the station which is late.  Your ticket will no longer be valid and you will have to buy another one.  The same would apply if your mate was taking you in a car which broke down.

the most common one is the plane. If your plane is late then you will have to buy new tickets and claim on you travel insurance (if you have any)


There may be examples where you know of people being allowed to travel if they have missed their train but this will always be at the discretion of the railway staff.