Reservations cancellation/exchange due to UK strike

  • 24 December 2022
  • 6 replies
  • 143 views

Userlevel 1
Badge

Hi - after people thoughts...

We need to change TGV and Eurostar reservations from 7 Jan to 8 Jan due to issues with onward travel in the UK on 7 Jan (strike). I contacted customer support as I’d really like to not loose the fees paid already (and having to pay them again with new reservations). 

A bit warry of the response time - high volume and now holidays too - and some enquiries will be more urgent with folks traveling now. Wondering about going ahead cancelling and rebooking now while there is still availability, and try to deal with fees seperatly ? Or do we have to totally forget about the fees anyway? 

If we stay in London on the 7th (not ideal as wasn’t planning to pay hotel), we can’t use the pass on 8th for our onward travel (and final destination, where we need to go) as it will more than 2 out/inbound days).
 

The whole trip has been a waste of a pass from start to finish because of the strikes and engineering work 😣 (I have to pay and go to London by bus, 8+hours, instead of what should have been 1st class train included with pass, gutted). 


6 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

Are there no trains at all to your destination on the 7th or would you just like to prevent any hassle?

If you get stranded, then the railways are obliged to provide accommodation and arrange onward travel at no extra costs.

Userlevel 1
Badge

Are there no trains at all to your destination on the 7th or would you just like to prevent any hassle?

If you get stranded, then the railways are obliged to provide accommodation and arrange onward travel at no extra costs.

We arrive too late in London for onward travel with any of the train companies, due to revised timetable/bus replacement service. 
Also important to note that there was no reservation in the UK cancelled. They* blocked the sale and reservation for that day and only just made the revised timetable available - so no obligation on their side. In addtion to engineering work, it is now also a strike day so option are limited to a handful of trains compared to what it should be like, making connection now impossible. 
 

Same issue on 8th (a few more trains but engineering work a pain) but at least on the 8th we can catch the night train.

For info Edinburgh is our final destination. And we also have a connection in France, we’re not starting from Paris (hence TGV and Eurostar reservations involved, same-day connection not usually an issue)

​​​​ ​​​* Talking about LNER here. Lumo is not incuded with interrail (and no trains anyway). 

Userlevel 7
Badge +3

Due to the strike ticket acceptance is available allowing travel on an alternative day on 8, 9, 10 Jan.

https://www.lner.co.uk/travel-information/Industrial-action/

Not ideal I understand but you have the option of travelling to London on the 7th and continuing to Edinburgh on the 8th with your pass.

 

For travel to Edinburgh on the 8th; with engineering work closing the lines out of Kings Cross the provided alternative is St. Pancras to Bedford and Rail Replacement Bus from Bedford to St, Neots for LNER trains from there.

Alternatives I would suggest are either go via Glasgow with Avanti from Euston and Scotrail Glasgow - Edinburgh.

Or from St. Pancras travel via Sheffield and possibly Doncaster or York with East Midlands and TransPennine, Cross Country.

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

We arrive too late in London for onward travel with any of the train companies, due to revised timetable/bus replacement service. Also important to note that there was no reservation in the UK cancelled. They* blocked the sale and reservation for that day and only just made the revised timetable available - so no obligation on their side. In addtion to engineering work, it is now also a strike day so option are limited to a handful of trains compared to what it should be like, making connection now impossible.

So you planned the journey, you booked Eurostar and then they changed the timetable? That surely creates an obligation. You don't need a reservation (if it's an optional one) for passengers’ rights.

 

Userlevel 1
Badge

So, is the general consensus to probably forget getting full refund on the (TGV/Eurostar) reservations so we can change to next day earlier trains? 

⛄🎄

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

So, is the general consensus to probably forget getting full refund on the (TGV/Eurostar) reservations so we can change to next day earlier trains? 

I was trying to find out the actual situation by asking questions, to be able to determine what your rights are and then see what the best course of action is. But you haven't answered my last question.

In fact, we would need to know what your planned journey (with timetable) was on 7 January.

Reply