What if the 0851 South Western Railway Bristol-London Waterloo service is cancelled?

[Class 33]

I have a ticket for the 0851 South Western Railway Bristol-London Waterloo service tomorrow. I'm just wondering though if this service is cancelled - and taking into account the next scheduled direct South Western Railway service to London Waterloo isn't for another 4 hours, would my ticket be valid for travel on the 0922 GWR service to Salisbury and from there the next South Western Railway service onto London Waterloo? Or even the 0823 service to Salisbury?(if it's already announced the 0851 service is cancelled by that time).

I would think surely my ticket would be valid for the 0922 GWR service to Salisbury and then onto London Waterloo. But just checking for advice from anyone more knowledgable on ticket validity.

Cheers.

 

[IanXC]

Unless there is general ticket acceptance in place due to wider disruption, I would expect specific advice on what passengers intending to travel on that service should do. Have a read of their disruption updates and the cancellation message should advise your alternatives, if its not there you'll need to ask them through your media of choice!

 

[yorkie]

I have a ticket for the 0851 South Western Railway Bristol-London Waterloo service tomorrow. I'm just wondering though if this service is cancelled - and taking into account the next scheduled direct South Western Railway service to London Waterloo isn't for another 4 hours, would my ticket be valid for travel on the 0922 GWR service to Salisbury and from there the next South Western Railway service onto London Waterloo? Or even the 0823 service to Salisbury?(if it's already announced the 0851 service is cancelled by that time).

@bb21 may have a view on this but I would have thought either the train before or after to Salisbury for a train to London there would be fine.

Is your arrival time quite important to you? If so, you may prefer to get an earlier train. If you don't mind taking a later train then you would be able to claim Delay Repay if you arrive 30 or more minutes late into Waterloo.

 

[Romilly]

Might it depend on what ticket the OP has? If it is a flexible ticket routed via Warminster and Salisbury, then clearly the OP can travel on the next (or previous) train to Salisbury even if it is GWR. But if the OP has an Advance for the 0851, would it not be the case that the default position would be "wait for the next SWR train", in which event hopefully there would be local advice at Bristol station to avoid a 4-hours wait.

 

[yorkie]

I'm assuming it's an Advance by the way the question is worded, but I do not agree that the OP could reasonably be told to wait 4 hours.

 

[Class 33]

Cheers for your replies.

I'm only going to London for a day out, so don't mind if I get there earlier or up to an about an hour or so later than intended.

Yes it's an advance ticket. I paid £19 for it. I don't have the ticket yet(picking it up from the ticket machine in the morning). But I've just checked my email confirmation for it and it does state "Ticket type: Advance Valid on chosen train only. Non-refundable. Changeable for a fee before booked departure time. Route: SW RAILWAY ONLY.".

So by that it sounds like it if that service is cancelled, then it won't be valid for train on GWR services down to Salisbury or on any other South Western Railway services from Salisbury onto London Waterloo!

But I do agree Yorkie, that if that service is cancelled then me(and other passengers with tickets booked for that specific service) shouldn't be expected to wait 4 hours for the next direct South Western Railway service to London Waterloo. And passengers ought to be allowed to travel on GWR services to Salisbury, and then on the next available South Western Railway service onto London Waterloo.

Hopefully though that service won't be cancelled. According to the update on the SWR website, all services are expected to return to normal tomorrow. Most of the snow is all gone now!

 

[IanXC]

Cheers for your replies.

I'm only going to London for a day out, so don't mind if I get there earlier or up to an about an hour or so later than intended.

Yes it's an advance ticket. I paid £19 for it. I don't have the ticket yet(picking it up from the ticket machine in the morning). But I've just checked my email confirmation for it and it does state "Ticket type: Advance Valid on chosen train only. Non-refundable. Changeable for a fee before booked departure time. Route: SW RAILWAY ONLY.".

So by that it sounds like it if that service is cancelled, then it won't be valid for train on GWR services down to Salisbury or on any other South Western Railway services from Salisbury onto London Waterloo!

But I do agree Yorkie, that if that service is cancelled then me(and other passengers with tickets booked for that specific service) shouldn't be expected to wait 4 hours for the next direct South Western Railway service to London Waterloo. And passengers ought to be allowed to travel on GWR services to Salisbury, and then on the next available South Western Railway service onto London Waterloo.

Hopefully though that service won't be cancelled. According to the update on the SWR website, all services are expected to return to normal tomorrow. Most of the snow is all gone now!

It really is worth waiting to see what advice you are given following the cancellation of a service such as this, whilst you are absolutely correct that you may be given permission to travel on the next service to Salisbury, you might be given permission to travel on GWR to Paddington...

 

[grumblingalong]

Speak to station staff nicely and you'll find your ticket validated for the next appropriate service regardless of operator or perhaps routing depending.

 

[Revilo]

A few years ago I had a similar issue in reverse. The 19:50 (I think) SWT direct to Bristol was cancelled after Westbury because of a lineside fire at Avoncliff. We knew this before we left Waterloo and I tried to get Waterloo customer services and ticket office to allow me to go via Paddington, but they were having none of it. Ended up on a coach from Westbury and a free taxi from Bristol back to my final station Worle (last train had gone). On the plus side I got a generous delay replay result given how late I got back (this was on an Off Peak ticket routed Warminster/Salisbury).