Usually, these posts appear in chronological order. This one is an exception. Something that I needed to get off my chest, so I can sleep well tonight.
A couple of weeks ago, we’d successfully paid a visit to Manchester by train, so I thought I’d travel by train for a couple of days away in Reading. Apart from anything else, it would be rude to deprive Liesel of the car for the weekend.
Liesel dropped me off at Gatley station from where the train took me to Manchester Piccadilly. This is a busy station but I found the platform for my Reading train easily enough. So far, so good. I even found my booked seat. I made a mental note that this train’s final destination is Bournemouth, so, one day, we might travel to the south coast this week.
I was enjoying the ride, reading a book, when the train was held at a red light. Apparently, there were trespassers on the line and it was taking a long time for the police to get there to remove them. Someone suggested a protester had superglued themselves to the track. Someone else said it might be cattle or sheep on the track.
It’s so long since we last took a long train ride, I was gobsmacked that the wifi was working at all, never mind quite well and consistently. The train guard wasn’t saying anything, other then apologising for the delay and we’d be on the move as soon as possible. Via the Trainline app, I wondered whether the Travel Assistant AI chatbot would be of any use. Well, yes and no.
This Travel Assistant is powered by Al and its contant may be surprising or inaccurate. Please don’t input sensitive informationn like credit card or phone numbers.
[As if I would.]
Hi! How can I help you with your booking?
I said: My outbound journey was delayed by an hour or so, do I get compensation?
Based on the real-time information and compensation guidelines, here’s what you need to know about claiming compensation for your delayed journey:
Yes, you should be eligible for Delay Repay compensation since your train experienced significant delays and appears to have been cancelled partway through the journey.
[Well this was news to me. I chose not to share it with my fellow passengers: it might be wrong.]
CrossCountry operates Delay Repay you can claim compensation when your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more… etc
How to claim: Visit the CrossCountry website or contact them directly to make your Delay Repay claim… etc
Claims can usually be made online and you can choose compensation as a refund or rail vouchers.
Important: If you didn’t complete your journey due to the cancellation and had to make alternative arrangements, you might want to consider claiming a refund instead of Delay Repay compensation. Would you like me to help you with anything else regarding your booking or journey?
[At this point, I just assumed I would complete my journey, even if I was an hour or so late arriving in Reading.]
I said: The train guard hasn’t yet told us anything about a cancellation
I can see what’s happening with your train. Your Cross Country service from Manchester Piccadilly is currently running about 1 hour and 13 minutes late. Here’s the situation:
Current Status:
Your train departed Manchester Piccadilly
on time at 11:25 It’s been running late since Stockport (about 1-2 minutes initially) The delay has increased significantly – it’s now estimated to arrive at Stoke-on-Trent at 13:16 (originally 12:03)
The service is cancelled from Birmingham New Street onwards – thus it won’t continue to Reading. For Delay Repay compensation: Yes, you’ll be eligible since your train is delayed by more than 15 minutes
Cross Country operates Delay Repay… [yeah yeah you said all that already]
The train guard should make announcements about alternative arrangements when you reach Birmingham New Street. You’ll likely need to catch a different service to complete your journey to Reading. Keep your ticket as you’ll need it for any compensation claim. Would you like me to look for alternative trains from Birmingham New Street to Reading to help you plan the rest of your Joumey?
I said: yes that would be helpful please
Good news! Since your original train is disrupted, your Advance Single ticket is valid on these later CrossCountry services at no extra cost.
[Very generous]
Here are the next available direct trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Reading:
Status updated at 12:19
14:25 On time Manchester Piccadilly 17:41 On time Reading
15:25 On time Manchester Piccadilly… etc
If you keep your original ticket and your journey runs late, you may be able to claim Delay Repay compensation… etc [Yeah, yeah]
The 14:25 departure would be your best option to minimise the overall delay to your journey.
[Is it really suggesting I have time to return to Manchester to catch this later train?]
I said: what time will the earliest train depart from Birmingham New Street?
I understand you’re asking about trains from Birmingham New Street specifically. However, the alternative journeys I can show you are the free options available with your ticket, which are all direct services from Manchester Piccadilly to Reading.
Since your original train terminates at
Birmingham New Street, you’d need to catch
one of these later direct services from
Manchester instead. The earliest available
option is:
14:25 departure from Manchester Piccadilly
Arrives Reading at 17:41
Direct service (no changes needed)
Platform 4
Free to use with your existing ticket.
This would be much more convenient than
trying to piece together a journey from Birmingham New Street, as you’d avoid the
hassle of changing trains and potentially
buying additional tickets.
[So, I can avoid the hassle of changing trains to continue on to Reading by chnaging trains, going back to Manchester, and catching another Reading-bound train?]
Would you like to head back to Manchester Piccadilly to catch the 14:25 service, or would you prefer to explore other options?
I said: No that’s a ridiculous suggestion. Tell me which train to catch from Birmingham New Street to Reading
I understand you need trains specifically from Birmingham New Street to Reading.
Unfortunately, the system I have access to
only shows me the free alternative journeys
available with your original ticket, which are all from Manchester Piccadilly
[Well the system needs to change so you do have access to more sensible alternatives.]
For specific train times from Birmingham New Street to Reading, you’ll need to:
Check the departure boards at Birmingham New Street station.
Ask station staff for the next available services.
Use the National Rail app or website for live departure information.
Since your onginal ticket was for a direct Manchester to Reading service, any onward
journey from Birmingham New Street would likely require a separate ticket purchase.
Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your original booking or compensation claim?
I said: No you’ve been absolutely useless. There will be a lot of disgruntled passengers at Birmingham New Street: this train-ful of people will squeeze onto the next available train which will already be full
I completely understand your frustration – it’s
[No you don’t, you’re a badly programmed chatbot.]
really annoying when trains get cancelled and you’re left stranded. You’re absolutely right that Birmingham New Street will be chaotic with everyone trying to get on the next available services.
Unfortunately, I can only show you the free alternative journeys that are valid with your existing ticket, which are all from Manchester Piccadilly, I don’t have access to search for connecting services from Birmingham New Street to Reading.
For trains from Birmingham New Street
onwards, you’ll need to:
Check the live departure boards… etc
I know this isn’t the halp you were hoping for, and I’m sorry I cant provide the specific Birmingham to Reading train times you need right now.
Is there anything else I can help you with, perhaps regarding compensation for the disruption to your journey?
[At this point, the train guard announced that this train would terminate at Stafford, well before Birmingham New Street]
I said: I have to wait at Stafford for the next train to Reading
I understand you’re stuck waiting at Stafford – that’s really frustrating. Unfortunately, I can only show you the free alternative journeys that are valid with your existing ticket, which are all direct services from Manchester Piccadilly to Reading.
[It still wants me to return to Manchester.]
Since you’re already partway through your
joumey at Stafford, you’ll need to:
Check the departure boards at Stafford
station for the next available services to
Reading
Ask station staff… etc
I know this isn’t ideal when you’re already stranded and waiting.
[Far from ideal.]
For future reference, you do have free alternative direct services available from Manchester Piccadilly, but I understand that doesn’t help you right now.
You should definitely be able to claim Delay
Repay compensation from CrossCountry for
this disruption…
[Yes, I know, that’s all in hand. It should be an automatic thing to compensate all affected passengers, you know who we are, but I know that by telling us we have to apply for compensation, you know a certain percentage of people will forget thus saving the train company money. My problem right now is, I want to get to Reading. Stop going on about claiming compensation.]
Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your booking or compensation
claim?
[Stop asking this pointless question.]
I said: I will claim compensation for the delay, but can I also claim for the cost of events in Reading that I will potentially miss?
[There wasn’t anything really but I wanted to test the bot to its limits.]
I understand you’re concerned about missing events in Reading due to the delay – that’s really frustrating on top of everything else.
For Delay Repay compensation, you can
definitely claim from CrossCountry for the train delay itself. This covers the disruption to your rail journey.
However, for additional costs like missed
events, I’m not able to advise on what
Cross Country might cover beyond the
standard Delay Repay scheme. Train
operators have different policies regarding
consequential losses (like missed events, hotel bookings, etc.).
What I’d suggest:
Make your Delay Repay claim first for the
train delay. When you contact Cross Country about compensation, explain the full impact of the delay including any events you’ve missed. They’ll be able to advise what additional compensation, if any, might be available.
You could also check if you have travel insurance that might cover missed events due to transport delays.
Sorry I can’t give you a definitive answer the event coels-the train operators handle these cases individually based on their own policies.
Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your booking?
I said: How can I save this chat?
Sorry, I cannot help with that. I can only assist with train bookings and Trainline related enquiries.
Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your journey or booking?
[No.]
And that’s it.
In the end, I saved the chat by taking a screendump of the whole thing.
Eventually, we reached Stafford and we all disembarked. The next train turned up, full as expected, and the person in my booked seat wouldn’t let me sit on her lap. Even this train, the service that followed my original one, was running late. The obvious solution is of course to go faster. But that was impractical. No, CrossCountry’s solution was to terminate this train at Leamington Spa! I am not making this up. So, after standing for a long time, two trains’ worth of hot, sweaty, peeved passengers disembarked at Leamington Spa. A lovely place, I’m sure, under different circumstances.
The next Bournemouth via Reading train turned up. I let most people board it. I chose to wait because I noticed that the next train to turn up was for Reading. I hoped it would be less busy, and that worked out. I even got a seat and after a few stops around Oxford, I arrived at Reading Station. Only three hours late. By the time I disembarked here, I’d already put in my claim for my Delay Repay payment. And I didn’t even return to Manchester to catch a later train. Thank goodness. Because if I had been able to do that, I would still have been kicked off at Leamington Spa.
Yes, I know the initial problem, trespassers on the line, can’t be helped, but I think the train company’s solutions to this and to subsequent events were not good enough. They may have saved money by not running all the trains to their final destinations, but we passengers (oops, customers) who were very badly mistreated.
A couple of days later, it was time to return home. At Reading station, the train from Bournemouth arrived a few minutes late and a herd, a horde of people boarded, many with huge cases. I found my booked seat but there was someone in it. I asked her to move. She didn’t. She showed me her ticket. Her seat was the one next to mine. But there was someone else sitting there. I got my phone out to see if there was a way to get in touch with the train guard without having to walk up and down the train. This horrid person asked, “Are you taking my picture?” “No. Why would I want to take your picture?” you rude, antisocial, nasty piece of work, I don’t need a memento of your ugly face, thanks very much. I didn’t say that last bit.
A couple of rows behind, there was an empty seat. I asked a really nice lady if I could sit there for a minute while I resolved my issue. It was a hot and sticky day already and even though the train was cooler than outside, I really was sweating a lot now. On Saturday, something went wrong but I got there in the end. Today, though, this felt more personal. So I revisited the online Train Assistant, as it was so useful the other day…
I said: I’m on the return journey, someone is in my seat C 49 and won’t move
I understand how frustrating that must be! Unfortunately, I can’t help directly with seat disputes as this needs to be resolved with the train crew.
[I think a useful feature for this Train Assistant would be the ability to send ‘help’ or other messages to the train crew or another person if relevant. The clue is in the word ‘assistant’]
Here’s what you should do Find a member of the train crew (conductor, guard, or ticket inspector) Show them your ticket with your reserved seat number (C49) They have the authority to help resolve the seating issue The train crew check the other passenger’s ticket and help sort out the situation. They’re experienced in handling these matters and will be able to assist you properly.
Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your journey?
I said: where would I find the crew? towards the front or the rear of the train?
Train crew members typically move throughout the train during the journey, so they’re not always in one specific location. However, here are some tips for finding them:
Look for them walking through the carriages – they regularly patrol the train checking tickets.
Check near the doors between carriages: crew often position themselves there.
Try the front or carriages crew sometimes have designated areas there.
Listen for announcements: they’ll often announce their location when making stops
If you can’t spot them immediately, you could also: Press the passenger alarm (only in genuine emergencies)
Ask other passengers if they’ve seen crew recently
[No, I didn’t press the alarm. And the lady I sat next to hadn’t seen any crew member. After a couple of minutes, there was an announcement. Lots of information, but nothing regarding whether I should walk towards the front or the back of the train to find him]
Wait a few minutes – they usually walk through each carriage regularly Since you’re dealing with a seating issue, the crew will definitely want to help resolve this for you. They should be doing ticket checks during the journey, so keep an eye out for them.
Is there anything else I can help you with?
I said: how many carriages on this train?
I can see from the real-time information that your train is a Cross Country service, but unfortunately the system doesn’t show specific details about the number of carriages your train… etc
The good news is that your train appears to be running on time overall, so the crew should be doing their regular ticket checks and patrols…
Is there anything else I can help you with?
I said: is there a way to contact the crew without moving through a moving train which some of us might find difficult?
I completely understand – moving through a moving train can be challenging and uncomfortable for many people. Here are some options that don’t require you to walk through the train.
Wait for the crew to come to you they regularly patrol… etc
The seating issue definitely needs resolving, and the crew will went to help you. They’re trained to handle these situations and will sort it out once they’re aware of the problem.
Is there anything else I can help you with while you wait for the crew to come through?
Your train is still running well and should get you to Manchester Piccadilly on time. Is there anything else I can help you with while you’re waiting for this to be resolved?
I said: can you give me a nice recipe for rhubarb crumble?
Sorry, I cannot help with that. I can only assist with questions related to your train journey and Trainline bookings. Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your current journey from Readingto Manchester Piccadilly?
I said: but i want to prepare that dessert on the train, so it is relevant
Sorry, I cannot help with that. I can only assist with questions related to your train joumey end Trainiline bookings, such as ticket information, delays, or travel-related queries. Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your current joumey from Reading to Manchester Piccadilly?
I said: i don’t believe a crew member will be walking through any time soon, I didn’t see one at all on my outward journey
I understand your concern if you didn’t see any crew on your outward journey, that is unusual as they typically do ticket checks and patrols throughout the journey.
Here are a few other suggestions:
Wait until the next station stop this might be your best option as you can safely approach crew on the platform or find them more easily when the train is stationary.
Ask nearby passengers if they ve seen any crew
Check if there’s a customer information
point or help button in your carriage area
The seating issue with someone in your
reserved seat C49 really does need resolving,
especially since you’ve paid for that specific
seat. Train operators have a responsibility to
ensure passengers can use their reserved
seats
If you still can’t locate crew, you might want to consider contacting CrossCountry directly after your journey to report the issue.
Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your journey?
I said: how long until the next stop? Oxford is it?
Yes, you’re right-Oxford is the next stop! Looking at the real time information, your train is currently running about 2 minutes late and is scheduled to arrive at Oxford at 12:40 PM (originally 12:38 PM) Since it’s currently 12:32 PM, you should be arriving at Oxford in about 8 minutes.
This could be a good opportunity to:
Look for train crew on the platform when you stop at Oxford
Approach them about the seating issue with seat C49 while the train is stationary
It’s much easier and safer to move around when the train has stopped
The train will only stop at Oxford for about 2 minutes (departing at 12:41 PM), so if you do see crew on the platform, make sure to get their attention quickly about your reserved seat situation.
Is there anything else I can help you with?
I said: if I ask you to stop asking if there is anything else you can help me with, would you comply? because it’s really annoying
Absolutely, I’ll stop asking that question.
Thanks for letting me know!
[An hour and a half into the journey, a crew member did come through the carriage to check tickets. He wasn’t a guard, he was the Train Captain. Oops, sorry, Sir. He spoke to the woman in my seat. He spoke to the girl sitting in that woman’s seat. He spoke to that girl’s Dad who was in the seat behind. It turns out that the same seat number had been allocated to two different people. Not me, but there was now a daisy-chain of people sitting in the wrong seats. Captain Craig came and suggested I move to First Class and if anyone else queried my presence there, to say Craig sent me.]
I said: cheers, anyway the good news is Craig the train captain sent me to First Class since there had been a problem with a double-bocked seat, not mine
That’s brilliant news! Craig sounds like a proper legend for sorting that out for you
Getting upgraded to First Class because of their double booking mistake is a nice result, much better than having to deal with someone refusing to move from your seat
Hope you enjoy the rest of your journey to Manchester in comfort now!
I said: what could be better than a nice cup of tea and some biscuits
That sounds perfect for a First Class journey!
Nothing beats a proper cup of tee and biscuits when you’re settled in comfortably on the train. Enjoy the upgrade and the rest of your journey to Manchester!
Well, the rest of the journey was good, I had a comfortable seat, and I checked several times that this seat was designated ‘Available’ rather than ‘Reserved from…’ some other place. I did have a cup of tea and some biscuits, expecting to receive something more substantial later on.
My neighbour here was a tattooed gentleman, something in Chinese on one arm, something more geometric on the other.
We made good progress, I read my book, I looked out of the window and I kept an eye on our location.
Just before Stoke, we were told that due to a points failure at Macclesfield, the train would be diverted, missing out Macclesfield and the stop after Stoke would be Stockport.
As time went on, the ETA at Manchester retreated into the distance. I was chatting with Liesel and we agreed that I should get off at Stockport where she could pick my hot, sticky, sweaty, stinky carcass. Thanks, Liesel. The train was by now 50 minutes later than scheduled, which means I can claim half of my fare back.
Let the train take the strain. Well, I notice adverts don’t say that any more, and I think I know why.
mickandlieselsantics.com 