The Ticket Collector

Virgin VIP awayday invitation for 75 sent to 76,000.

An Email from Virgin Trains head office promised a select few a special day: five-star pampering, champagne, golf and feasting, all laid on free at an exclusive country hotel. But the luxurious event on May 28 was sent not to a select few customers as originally planned, but was sent to 76,000 ‘normal’ customers.

Virgin Trains was forced to issue a mass apology yesterday after making the offer, intended for 75 members of its first-class Traveller club, to its general passenger database.

The Email, sent on Tuesday by Virgin Train’s traveller manager, was headlined “Now really cancel everything”.

People who took the email to heart were told they would be transported first-class on May 28 to play golf or relax in the spa at The Grove, near Watford, Hertfordshire.

When TheTicketCollector.co.uk called the hotline we were told the offer could not be honoured, as it had been sent to over 76,000 people. The Virgin Trains employee we spoke to on the hotline said: “The Email was sent out to every single person whose Email we hold, which is around 76,000″. They continued, stating “The invitation had been a “test email” distributed in error by our IT department, and that the mailing had been interrupted before all people could receive it.

TheTicketCollector.co.uk has contacted Virgin Trains and a spokesman has said “It was human error and were sorry for someone pressing the wrong button, however in order to make it up to people we will be entering the name of every person who received the email into a draw and 5 people will win the golf and spa trip”.

Ticket names to change.

As if you were not already confused by the huge number of different ticket names, the powers that be have decided to change the names yet again.

So say goodbye to the SuperSaver, the Saver, the Cheap Day Return, the Standard Day Return and say hello to Super Off-Peak and Anytime.

The new ticket types are as follows.

Overhead wire problems at Thirsk

Services got back to normal later on Wednesday 13th.

Due to overhead wire problems at Thirsk (between Newcastle and York) servics have been suspended for the rest of the day.

The lines will remain closed until approximately 06:00 on Wednesday 13 February. On Wednesday, only three out of four lines will be available, so some alterations and delays can still be expected.

Train services are currently operating as follows:
National Express East Coast:
Train services are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation. Some services from Edinburgh towards London may terminate at Newcastle to ease congestion at Darlington.

CrossCountry:
CrossCountry services to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation.
CrossCountry services that normally start from and terminate at Newcastle are currently starting from and terminating at Derby. Customers travelling to/from Newcastle should use alternative CrossCountry services between Derby and York, replacement bus services between York and Darlington, and alternative services between Darlington and Newcastle.

First TransPennine Express:
Train services are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, and also between Middlesbrough and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation.

Grand Central:
The 16:50 London Kings Cross to Sunderland service will terminate at York. Customers should use bus services between York and Middlesbrough, and Northern Rail services between Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
The 06:46 Sunderland to London Kings Cross service on Wednesday morning is expected to be operating, but may be subject to a late start from Sunderland.

Customers using bus services between York and Darlington / Middlesbrough should allow at least an extra 60 minutes for their journey.

Alternative routes and easements:
Customers travelling between London and Scotland in either direction are advised to travel using Virgin Trains services between London Euston and Glasgow Central.

Customers travelling on CrossCountry services between Southern & South West England and Scotland via Newcastle are advised to change at Birmingham New Street to connect with Virgin Train services to Glasgow Central.

First ScotRail will accept National Express East Coast and CrossCountry customers between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh.

Customers may also use East Midlands Trains services between London St Pancras and Sheffield.

Virgin ‘Free’ First Class Ticket

If you travelled or attempted to travel on Virmin Trains either into or out of London Euston between 31 December 2007 and 3 January 2008 inclusive, then you are entitled to one complimentary, First Class return journey to use anywhere on their network. But good luck trying to claim it.

Virmin are attempting to try and regain some good PR from this stunt, but as always with Virmin they have to stick a huge list of restrictions and terms. You have to be flexible in which free first class return journey you choose (i.e. travelling out at 5am and arriving back at midnight), you have to stick to that train and there are only 100,000 tickets available.

Please remember that Virmin are hoping that you will forget that you can still claim compensation for the original ticket and only list it once on their site that you can. “Claiming a ‘This one’s on us’ Virgin Trains ticket does not affect your statutory rights and a full refund of your original ticket dated for travel between 31 December 2007 and 3 January 2008 will still be available.”

More information and the small print can be found at http://www.thisonesonus.com/

Severe weather warning - Friday 1st and 2nd February.

Severe weather conditions have been forecast by the Met Office for the UK for Friday 1 and Saturday 2 February. The weather warning is valid from 0001 Friday 1st until 0600 Saturday 2nd February.

The Met Office continues to forecast colder weather to spread southwards across the UK during Friday and at first on Saturday giving heavy snow in places. Areas most at risk include Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland from early on Friday, extending to northern and central England and much of Wales on Friday afternoon, and perhaps into southern areas on Friday evening. Northern areas could see accumulations of 10cm of snow, with up to 20cm on higher ground, and blizzard conditions and snow drifts could occur in strong winds. Southern areas could see accumulations of 2 to 5cm of snow by Saturday morning. Disruption to transport and power networks is likely and the public are advised to take extra care. This warning will be updated by 1200 Friday 1st February unless superseded by Flash warnings.

Commuter Misery - Its all Notwork Rails fault.

What a good day for the Railway!

Firstly we have the fare revisions. This has made most tickets rise in price by around 4.8%. Some other fares have increased even more!

Secondly Notwork Rail have overrun on the Liverpool Street and Rugby engineering projects
The Liverpool Street Over run.

The bridge demolition outside Liverpool Street, the station work at Stratford and the trackwork at Shenfield was completed on time, however there have been serious problems with the overhead line replacement at Liverpool Street station. Notwork Rail informed ‘one’ Railway that the engineering work was hunky dory and running on time, but very late last night Notwork Rail decided to change their minds.

Notwork Rail engineers are continuing to work at Liverpool Street. Four of the six lines are now available into Liverpool Street, although there are a reduced number of platforms available in the station.

The Rugby Over run.

Notwork Rail has over run yet again on overhead line replacement in the Rugby area. The work was originally planned to have finished by New Years Eve. Notwork Rail have now stated that the line should be reopened around 0500GMT on Friday.

The works at Rugby have left the line closed between Birmingham International and Northampton and Virgin has advised passengers not to use its trains.

A spokesman for Virgin Trains, said: “This is a frustrating time for us and what we are particularly upset about is Network Rail’s inability to say exactly when the line will be back to normal. We would normally have carried around 50,000 to 60,000 people today and it is clear from the numbers travelling today that many people have found other ways of reaching their destination.”

ORR Enquiry.

The Office of Rail Regulation has annouced an urgent enquiry into the over runs and Notwork Rail could possibly recive multimillion pound fines as well as having to pay compensation to the Train Companies concerned.

Claim your compensation if youve been delayed in the last few days.

Passenger Focus (AKA the Rail Passengers Council) have asked all passengers to claim compensation if they have been delayed or canceled their journeys in the last few days due to Notwork Rails failure to complete the engineering work on time.

If you have advance tickets, daily tickets, monthly tickets or even yearly tickets still claim your compensation. It may not be much to you but it will tell the Train Companies that this continuing incompetence from Notwork Rail is unacceptable.

Virgin Trains
Customer Relations Manager
Virgin Trains
Meridian
85 Smallbrook Queensway
Birmingham B5 4HA
Telephone: 0121 654 7400
Email: customer.relations@virgintrains.co.uk

‘one’ Railway
FREEPOST RLSY-GLUC-KHCK
Passenger’s Charter Claims
‘one’ Customer Services Centre
Grosvenor House
112-114 Prince of Wales Road
NORWICH
NR1 1NS