Notice from Northern Rail - failure to produce a valid ticket

[Bletchleyite]

Are they just asking for the fare? If so the least risky option (i.e. so Northern don't move onto big settlements) is probably to pay that and pursue Avanti for it.

 

[185]

I would suggest there is more chance of hell freezing over than Northern losing it's licence to operate trains over something like this.

But one would at least expect their head of the DPRU (Mr Wade) to be sacked for allowing this to happen time and time again.

Can only agree with what's been said. Northern again are directly in breach of the NCoTs 28.2.

I'm guessing if the PF or TIR printoff sheet for this one was examined, the staff members pay number would also be the same one as seen on many previous threads.

 

[island]

Not only that, but if there were multiple Avanti cancellations then in theory Northern can lose its licence to operate trains if it refused to honour the tickets.

But one would at least expect their head of the DPRU (Mr Wade) to be sacked for allowing this to happen time and time again.

There is absolutely no chance whatsoever of either of these things happening.

 

[Haywain]

I would suggest there is more chance of hell freezing over than Northern losing it's licence to operate trains over something like this.

Quite. If the DfT took the operation away from OLR, who would they give it to? There's a reason that it's called the Operator of Last Resort.

 

[northwichcat]

Not only that, but if there were multiple Avanti cancellations then in theory Northern can lose its licence to operate trains if it refused to honour the tickets.

I would suggest there is more chance of hell freezing over than Northern losing it's licence to operate trains over something like this.

Agreed. Northern decided to not operate services on many routes on 24 Dec and 31 Dec and told ticket holders to claim a refund or travel on an alternative date instead. However, if your journey involved multiple operators they couldn't confirm ticket acceptance with other operators on alternative dates e.g. if you had a Buxton to Glasgow ticket and wouldn't commit to offering hotels to allow overnight breaks in journeys. If that doesn't lose them their licence then a dispute over a few Avanti ticket holders not being allowed to travel on an alternative Northern service won't affect anything.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hoping to gain some advice as to how to proceed with this. on 24JAN my husband was due to take the 11:51 direct Avanti service from Blackpool North through to London Euston with an Advance Single e-ticket. However, that service was cancelled, as was the next Avanti direct service from BPN. This meant that the only way he was able to pick up an Avanti service was by using a Northern Rail train from BPN through to Preston so he boarded a service destined for York.

Tickets were inspected during the journey and he was advised that he shouldn't be travelling on the service "with an Avanti ticket" (he was not given the opportunity to purchase a ticket from the inspector) and so they took his details and said he would hear in due course.

When he boarded an Avanti service at PRE he mentioned the incident to the staff member checking tickets and they proclaimed it "nonsense" and that he should have been able to travel BPN-PRE on a Northern train, given that his planned service had been cancelled.

He has today received the letter from Northern Rail - Debt Recovery And Prosecutions Unit stating that he had been unable to produce a valid ticket (at this point they are only seeking to 'recover the outstanding fare').

To this end, just wondering whether the fact he held an Advance rather than Off Peak ticket has left him liable or if there is any chance of recourse?

A good few replies on here indicate the points that should be made to Northern in a reply to them indicating that no further payment is owed.

If you draft something up I am sure forum will check it for you and suggest any changes to make it as clear as possible in 'railway language' to present the strongest case that they should close the matter.