birthday sleeper treat spoilt!

[whole diary]

[inspector_blakey]

I'm a bit puzzled - how do said LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) staff get to work if/when the sleeper runs via the Toot and Bunny? Do they get notice so that they can make other arrangements, or do they just catch a different HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) service at a similarly ungodly hour from Swindle-um?

[JayMac]

I'm a bit puzzled - how do said LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) staff get to work if/when the sleeper runs via the Toot and Bunny?

Toot and Bunny? Are you any closer to discovering the origin of this phrase, blakey? The only online reference of any note I can find is a previous coffeeshop post of yours. 

[super tm]

I'm a bit puzzled - how do said LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) staff get to work if/when the sleeper runs via the Toot and Bunny?

They drive just as they have to for any other shift which does not fit into the scheduled train service. Its just a bonus for them when the sleeper calls and saves the petrol but there is no guarantee.

[The SprinterMeister]

As to the route you took, the Night Riviera can and does go via many different routes - perhaps the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) substitution was also behind the Swindon crew change.

What crew change?

Exeter HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) drivers sign all routes from Exeter to Paddington including the SR^▸ (Southern Railway / Southern Region / Scot Rail / Scottish Region (rather confusing - it depends on the context)) as far as Yeovil Jn / Castle Cary. As already pointed out Exeter HSS train managers are the only ones that sign sleeping cars / LHCS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Coaching Stock).

[inspector_blakey]

Toot and Bunny? Are you any closer to discovering the origin of this phrase, blakey? The only online reference of any note I can find is a previous coffeeshop post of yours. 

Oddly I don't even get that one coming up in Google! Probably said this before, but it's referenced by Adrian Vaughan in either Signalman's Morning or Signalman's Twilight as being an ancient nickname of obscure origin, from memory I think specifically referring to the Newbury-Hungerford section of the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury). It's also mentioned by Benedict le Vay in Britain from the Rails, although again I don't think there's any indication of the derivation.

[dking]

Come to that - why 'Hants & Berks'? The line doesn't go through Hampshire.

I love 'Toot & Bunny', though. Someone must know why, somewhere!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Come to that - why 'Hants & Berks'? The line doesn't go through Hampshire.

See a previous topic, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6380.0 

[bigdaz]

    I received this letter in the post today:

Dear Mr ******

Thank you for your Passenger's Charter claim form and letter received 1 November 2010.  I am really sorry for the problems you had on your journey with us from Penzance to London Paddington on 27th October.  Our 21:45 sleeper service was disrupted due to a mechanical failure and I apologise for the inconvenience this caused, especially as you were delayed over 45 minutes waiting for a replacement train.

Whilst we do pay compensation for a delay of an hour or more, our records show that this service arrived in London Paddington 4 minutes early as it was able to make up time during the night.  Therefore I am afraid that no compensation is due on this occasion.

We take any failure to deliver our advertised service very seriously and I have recorded your comments for the attention of our Senior Managers.

Thank you again for getting in touch and I trust your future journeys with us will be much more enjoyable.

Yours sincerely,
&^*^*&%

I have now lodged a further complaint to state that if you pay for a sleeper berth and don't get one, then this is a breach of contract and I should be entitled to a full refund. 

Am awaiting the outcome.

Your views??

[Brucey]

I believe you should at least be entitled to a refund of the berth fee.  You pay for a birth and get a seat - not exactly what you've paid for!

[inspector_blakey]

I would guess that it's simply that the person reading your letter was in a hurry, didn't realize that the 2145 PNZ to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) was a sleeper and just bashed out a standard passenger's charter reply without really thinking. I had something similar once when I claimed for a train that was 86 minutes late only to receive a letter from a customer services advisor who was apparently using a metric hour, since they said that I could only claim for delays of an hour or more and therefore 86 minutes wasn't long enough!

You might try giving them a call with the reference on your letter and asking to speak to a supervisor, as this resulted in a fulsome apology and a speedy issue of the appropriate compensation in the situation above.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) customer services are generally pretty good in my opinion - fair enough there are times when things like this slip through, probably because staff have a relatively short period of time allowed in which to read and respond to each complaint, but when such mistakes are brought to their attention they generally resolve them very quickly.

[JayMac]

And I'd request a further goodwill payment for the extra time and effort you will now have to put in after such a fundamental mistake made by the CS Advisor who responded.

The fact the the CS Advisor mentions 'sleeper service' in the response would seem to indicate a lack of attention - I'm assuming you enclosed your berth reservation along with the travel ticket.

I'd further suggest that the CS Advisor's handling of your claim also be brought to the attention of 'Senior Managers'.

[Brucey]

The fact the the CS Advisor mentions 'sleeper service' in the response would seem to indicate a lack of attention - I'm assuming you enclosed your berth reservation along with the travel ticket.

The mistake probably most likely happened when the CS advisor didn't realise that the replacement service was an HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)).  Very elementary error, but this is probably not a situation the CS person comes across very often.

[broadgage]

I would agree that the customer services person probably did not realise that sleeping accomadation was paid for, and not provided.
It would appear that they regarded it as a simple delay/cancellation, with the lost time made up, therefore no problem.

If a passenger had booked a seat on the train in question, then I dont see that compensation would be payable, since a seat was provided, and arrival was on time.

In case of a sleeping berth (not birth !) than at least the sleeper suplement should be refunded, and perhaps a goodwill payment in addition.

[Brucey]

berth (not birth !)

[grahame]

Has there ever been a birth in a berth?  [will split to separate thread if I this 'takes off'  ]