[Travel] F**K SOUTHERN FAIL. Help?!

[jcdenton08]

Absolute f***ing nightmare.

They cancelled my last train home tonight. 22:46 from London Victoria to Seaford (changing at Lewes - it’s the Hastings service).
I was there 20 minutes early. Nobody knew what they were doing at the station. I could’ve gone to Brighton but was told there was only a 4 minute connection to get the last #12 bus home, otherwise it would’ve been a 2 hour wait for a night bus as I’ve known from experience. I asked if they’d provide a taxi to Seaford, they said no, quote, “we don’t do that kind of thing”.


Given my options were either a paying a taxi home (I’d guess £300-400 - if I could even find anyone), sleeping in the station until thrown out, or a hotel, I’ve gone with paying for the cheapest closest hotel (Comfort Inn, Victoria - £185.97) which I’ll be fighting tooth and nail to be refunded to me.

Luckily I had money available to pay for the hotel room otherwise I’d have been sleeping rough.

I’m incredibly pissed off that they can just do this and get away with it. They are legally required by the terms of service to provide reasonable and timely transport home on a valid ticket and they point blank refused to do this or offer assistance of any kind.

Anyway, in hotel now, boiling hot, starving hungry and very stressed out. Incredibly anxious and having a panic attack.


I’m off work and have no responsibilities tomorrow thankfully - but the big joke is I’m now going to have to buy ANOTHER ticket to get home.

Advice/help/anything useful would be appreciated. If you reply like a cock or try and be funny I’m simply going to block you .

 

[hart's shirt]

Mate, I don't know how to help or even what to suggest, but try and do your best to relax now.

Would like to think that you'll be able to claim the costs incurred back.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Go to your M/P with everything written down plus any tickets and receipts. Had similar yesterday with AWC and last minute cancellations and the station staff knew but no public announcement. Bring back Virgin Trains.

 

[Zeberdi]

Bummer.

However, it that were me, I would have just got on the next train to Brighton, then get a taxi from Brighton to Seaford - much cheaper that a taxi from Victoria or having to spend the night in London - a bit of a slog mind you.
Personally, I’d have a shower in the room, drink a load of coffee, chill out a bit, then go back to the station and spend £20 quid on a ticket to Brighton and hop into a taxi at Brighton station the other end to go to Seaford (about £30 quid) - way to be home for cooked breakfast before crashing into bed I then would have tried to claim the money back but tbh for £50 it would be worth avoiding the stress of being stuck in London.

Sorry you’re having such a stressful time.

 

[jcdenton08]

Bummer.

However, it that were me, I would have got on the train to Brighton, then get a taxi from Brighton to Seafotd.

Unfortunately I’d spent so long being passed from pillar to post by a combination of station staff, National Rail et al this ship had sailed while they were “working out what to do”.

What they worked out to do was blame each other. Station staff told me to call National Rail Enquiries, they said it wasn’t their problem and to call Southern (who were closed), and the lone Southern employee at the kiosk said to make a complaint tomorrow. Oh and one station employee tried telling me to go to Haywards Heath(?!!) and press the emergency help buzzer there(!!!) because they are “better staffed”(??!!!!!)

There was one train to Brighton with a small chance of catching the last 12 bus, but this was long gone while I was being passed around

 

[Zeberdi]

Unfortunately I’d spent so long being passed from pillar to post by a combination of station staff, National Rail et al this ship had sailed while they were “working out what to do”.

What they worked out to do was blame each other. Station staff told me to call National Rail Enquiries, they said it wasn’t their problem and to call Southern (who were closed), and the lone Southern employee at the kiosk said to make a complaint tomorrow. Oh and one station employee tried telling me to go to Haywards Heath(?!!) and press the emergency help buzzer there(!!!) because they are “better staffed”(??!!!!!)

There was one train to Brighton with a small chance of catching the last 12 bus, but this was long gone while I was being passed around

Honestly- I have had so many experiences like this over the years with Southern/National Rail - you have to be a bit of a Karen to get anywhere sometimes.

By Law, railway companies can not leave you stranded - they have to find alternative transport to get you home if that was your last train -

From Which:

• a hotel room you had to book because the last train of the day was cancelled

Have a look through this

Can I claim compensation for a train delay and cancellation? - Which?

You have the right to be compensated if your train journey has been delayed or cancelled.

www.which.co.uk

 

[Albion my Albion]

I just found out I'm related to Patrick Vermer

 

[armchairclubber]

I just found out I'm related to Patrick Vermer

Just out of interest, other than your relation, who is Patrick Vermer?

 

[Albion my Albion]

Just out of interest, other than your relation, who is Patrick Vermer?

Patrick Vermer, 3rd cousin of my father AND president & CEO of Southern Railway.

 

[armchairclubber]

Patrick Vermer, 3rd cousin of my father AND president & CEO of Southern Railway.

I see thanks. From that I can tell its actually Patrick Verwer.

Hopefully your info will be of use to jcdenton.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I spent years ss a commuter to London. I always followed a piece of advice I had in the early days and generally it lessened the aggro: go as far as you can, as soon as you can.

No use now, but for future situations, I hope it helps. For now I hope you're feeling less upset this morning and try not to let it ruin another day.

 

[junior]

Did you try switching it off and on again?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I spent years ss a commuter to London. I always followed a piece of advice I had in the early days and generally it lessened the aggro: go as far as you can, as soon as you can.

No use now, but for future situations, I hope it helps. For now I hope you're feeling less upset this morning and try not to let it ruin another day.

This is always the best advice. Hopefully @jcdenton08 is home, de-stressed and otherwise OK. Easy to say with hindsight, but should really have a Plan B tucked away for future use. 22:46 is relatively early in train terms. Plenty of time to get a later train to Brighton. Being on familiar territory would possibly have averted a panic attack, and OP would be much nearer home, with multiple options including hotel near Brighton station, taxi from Brighton station, or just have some nice comfort food and wait for the night bus. Like I say, easy to say with hindsight, not so easy to do when you're having a panic attack and home seems a long way away. Sending best wishes to OP

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Wouldn’t happen in Germany.

 

[HangletonGull]

I had this a couple of years ago was stranded at three bridges had to get taxi back to hove got the taxi fare back (result as didn’t have a ticket from Blackfriars to three bridges or three bridges to brighton) stick a claim in you will get your money back

 

[Springal]

This is always the best advice. Hopefully @jcdenton08 is home, de-stressed and otherwise OK. Easy to say with hindsight, but should really have a Plan B tucked away for future use. 22:46 is relatively early in train terms. Plenty of time to get a later train to Brighton. Being on familiar territory would possibly have averted a panic attack, and OP would be much nearer home, with multiple options including hotel near Brighton station, taxi from Brighton station, or just have some nice comfort food and wait for the night bus. Like I say, easy to say with hindsight, not so easy to do when you're having a panic attack and home seems a long way away. Sending best wishes to OP

Yep generally the Thameslink trains from London Bridge run later I think

 

[dazzer6666]

I spent years ss a commuter to London. I always followed a piece of advice I had in the early days and generally it lessened the aggro: go as far as you can, as soon as you can.

No use now, but for future situations, I hope it helps. For now I hope you're feeling less upset this morning and try not to let it ruin another day.

25 years for me, and 100% this. ‘Get as far South as you can’ is the golden rule when it all turns to shit.

As for the OP, hope you managed to calm down and get some sleep. Formal complaint to Southern with receipts and an explanation of the stress and anxiety caused, plus an email to the CEO with a copy and hope that generates some response, but in these situations - if you can - always try to make the best of it and try to rationalise it with how things could be worse……although irritating I always found it easier to adopt an ‘ah well nothing I can do about’ view.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I spent years ss a commuter to London. I always followed a piece of advice I had in the early days and generally it lessened the aggro: go as far as you can, as soon as you can.

No use now, but for future situations, I hope it helps. For now I hope you're feeling less upset this morning and try not to let it ruin another day.

Good advice. I’d been in London for the day, got to Victoria to find many trains cancelled due to trespassers on the line around Norwood. This was around 6pm. Over two and a half hours later still nothing but a Gatwick Express was going so my friend & I decided to try that. We got on, sat down, only to be told there wasn’t a driver.
Half an hour later, an announcement came a train was leaving for Gatwick. It was packed to the gunwhales, but only stopping at East Croydon and Gatwick. It was gone ten o’clock but got to Gatwick, but in the meantime, I’d rung my husband who came to pick us up. I claimed the cost of the ticket back from Southern but let them off the £5 pick up fee.

 

[A1X]

If you don’t get anywhere, try this lot

Home - Rail Ombudsman

The Rail Ombudsman is an independent, not-for-profit organisation. We offer a free, expert service to help sort out unresolved customer complaints about service providers within the rail industry

www.railombudsman.org

 

[shingle]

Wasn't the 2 minutes past midnight train to Lewes running. Young shingle is always on it.

Gets in at 01.40 then taxi to Seaford.

I remember when my other son was at uni at Canterbury they cancelled his last train back from London and promptly paid for a taxi back home for him and several other passengers who were also stranded