Train cancelled at short notice? Northern, TPE, LNER must now take you on board!
Train cancelled at short notice? What can I do? Can I use another operator's trains?
There has been much confusion about this issue in the recent past - including by conductors themselves when a train is suddenly cancelled - and the managers of train operating companies have in many cases failed to commmunicate properly with the public and/or with their own train conductors.
As regards the northern region in general, the DfT has announced:
"LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express will allow customers to travel on each other’s services at no extra cost during any short-notice and on-the-day cancellations – giving people confidence that if services for one operator are impacted, they can travel on any service under public ownership.
This means if a passenger’s booked service on a rail service under public ownership is cancelled, they will be entitled to travel on any other service under public ownership at no extra cost.
Customers holding a ticket valid for that service will be able to travel with any other eligible DfT Operator (DFTO) service that reaches their destination within 2 hours before or after the cancelled service. [..] DFTO has been asked by the Secretary of State to roll out passenger benefits across services already in public ownership at pace.
Notice some caveats which generally do not apply in the North:
Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:
"No one wants their train to be cancelled. But during times of unavoidable disruption, it’s initiatives like these that can make a huge difference to a passenger’s journey – knowing you can hop on to another publicly owned service and still get to your destination.
This is just one of many ways a publicly owned railway will put passengers at the heart of journeys, affording them flexibility, certainty and confidence".
Although not yet applicable to Southeastern because of the different geographical areas it covers, as more train operators join DFTO, the greater benefit to passengers there will be, as tickets are accepted more widely.
Until legislation for Great British Railways (GBR) is in place, DFTO is working together with Network Rail and the Department for Transport (DfT) as Shadow Great British Railways to ensure the sector works together better in preparation for a publicly owned railway.
DfT Operator Limited Media Office