Disgruntled passengers booked train tickets months ago - for a train that doesn’t exist
Nick Jenkins and his wife Fiona, both 69, turned up on time for the 10.40am Grand Central train to London yesterday morning, but were told not only would it not been arriving, but that the service had been withdrawn six weeks ago.
Despite buying the ticket online - meaning the operator had their contact details - no one had got in touch to let them know the booking was in effect useless.
It meant they had to pay £67.50 each for an on-the-day ticket, and the damage would have been more than £100 each without a senior railcard.
Journalist and former Yorkshire Post deputy editor Mr Jenkins was travelling to London to study, as part of an MA in First World War studies, which is run by the University of Birmingham but taught at the National Army Museum, in Chelsea.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, he said: “Previously I’ve turned up at the station and been told ‘your train is cancelled, but you can get an LNER one instead.
“This time I turned up and they said it’s been withdrawn, which is different to cancelled, and it means it’s up to us.
“We can get a refund for the ticket, but the one we bought in July is obviously cheaper than the one we bought on the day.
“What really gets me is why didn’t someone tell us? They’ve obviously got the email address because we booked it online so it shouldn’t have been a big problem to email us.
“It makes you wonder what other services they’re doing this with. We’re booked back with Grand Central so we’ll wait and see whether that service exists.”
Grand Central has been approached for comment.