Sugar Loaf Mountaineer : 7/07/18 - now 23/09/18

They don't need to trawl, just contact everyone who bought a ticket and explain the options.

 

If the train was stewarded in the normal 'Pathfinder' way, there would have been a ticket check by number on the ticket which is also on the A4 Sheet/Coach Diagram so they know which tickets were checked off and so who travelled.

 

There’s an interesting precedent being set here. I was booked on the Marches Castle a few years ago with Nunney Castle. The loco failed it’s ftr the day before so I spoke to Pathfinder to enquire about a refund as the reason I had booked was for the Castle and without that I wasn’t interested.

The train ran with a class 67 and Pathfinder said as far as they were concerned the train ran so there was no option of a full refund, they did however offer me a £25 credit note (valid for 12 months) in recognition of the fact the class 67 was cheaper to run then a Castle. The £25 was mine whether I travelled or not. In the event I didn’t bother travelling and didn’t spend the £25 credit note either. In my view a full refund would have been appropriate and it is interesting to see they are offering that for this train.

Perhaps this is due to it being sponsored by Arriva? Having had to endure ATW trains every day to and from work for years, I hope they made a significant loss on this train!

 

First of all I am glad at least folks are getting money back. But of course the longer they wait to contact people the more chance of the boarding passes being thrown away. Unless the aim is to only refund those that ask!
But do you know Shireman if those sheets the stewards use are given back to the train manger and returned to the office? Maybe they are on Pathfinder, but it would seem an unlikely thing to do, although maybe after this they should. If we assume they are and can be reviewed then at least a list of who travelled could be complied. But even that I suspect may bring in a level of unfairness.
So people may have travelled because they turned up on the day and were not told before boarding there was no steam (I am guessing here, maybe there were stewards at each station warning people, especially as the train was late) but I doubt the option of money back if you go home was given or we would have heard from someone on here. If I was there I would travel assuming I had lost the money anyway.
Now it seems going home (and keeping your ticket) could get you all your money back, but saying "might as well have a day out anyway" costs you all or some money, I guess we do not know the offered percentage yet if any. An off peak return from BNS to Bynea is £72 so one would hope no more than that is kept by ATW, as lets face it effectively this was a 37 with nicer stock in lieu of a sprinter., in my view an extra service train.
If the "who travelled records" were not kept and the tickets were not punched or marked in some way what stops someone who did travel say they want their money back?

All a bit of a nightmare really

 

I think what seems to be happening in this case is much closer to what ought to be a reasonable expectation in the event of a trip running in a way that is significantly different to the basis of the ticket sold. Whilst the cognisant amongst purchasers know that there is more than a little risk of steam loco unavailability, there is too much asked generally of customers in the carrying of that risk in relation to their payment. There should be a clearly published sliding scale of refunds based on foreseeable eventualities. If nothing else it would reinforce the trust in "all reasonable endeavours".

 

Can confirm my tickets were checked and ticked off on some sort of master sheet.

 

Not sure there is a direct comparison here. As stated above this train had the full house of wrong day, destination and motive power - all of which were arguably foreseeable and therefore preventable. A failure of FTR the day before is an occupational risk of any vintage motive power and one which no tour operator would rightly refund 100% against, as they would quickly be out of business - there are still many fixed costs with a diesel hauled run.

 

Worth ringing Pathfinder to ask? The worst they can do is say no...

 

If you could pass this advice to northern that would be most appreciated, would avoid me spending hours each week going through their deliberately arcane delay repay system?

 

I've had automatic delay repay from VTWC, having bought tickets online. Is Northern able to contact you automatically?

 

As they are unable to run trains I cannot believe their IT skills will be that handy......

 

Has anyone received a refund yet ?

 

Nope but from past experience refunds usually take a week or so. Not unduly worried.

 

Thanks for the confirmation.

 

I had an email confirmation of my complaint a week ago saying they were going to talk to involved parties, chased yesterday, no reply as yet.

 

Possibly they're discussing whether all parties can cover the combined refunds. I wouldn't bank on it !

 

Email reply saying there is now a letter in the post - we shall see what they come back with.

 

My credit card has just been refunded. Fair play to those involved.

 

Mine too. Never in doubt.

 

Letter received today offering me the choice of a £20 refund or £40 credit (for the one first class seat which I did occupy). I consider that pretty fair. The letter also announces that they're having another go on 28th April next year with 45231 and the SRPS coaches; as originally envisaged, all the way to Carmarthen. So the speculation about getting that far and back in the time can resume.