Train operator One ” part of the National Express group ” has confirmed receipt of funding from Network Rail and says it will compensate passengers for the overrunning work which affected London Liverpool Street users on 2 and 3 January.
The company would not confirm a figure for the payment, but it is thought to be worth millions of pounds.
All season ticket holders on One services will be eligible for a full refund, Mainline and Metro passengers for both days and West Anglia passengers for just 2 January. Other ticket holders will receive compensation for the days they travelled.
Passengers should apply to the One Customer Services Centre, Grosvenor House, 114 Prince of Wales Road, Norwich NR1 1NS ([email protected] or 0845 6007245).
”The funding we have secured from Network Rail indicates that they have recognised the scale of the inconvenience caused to passengers using our trains on 2 and 3 January,” said One managing director, Andrew Chivers.
Watchdog Passenger Focus encourages those affected ”to claim and get compensation.”
Virgin Trains is awaiting similar reimbursement from Network Rail for disruptions to its West Coast main line service in the same period.
”Our estimate is around ”6m ($11.8m) but we haven”t finalised anything yet ” it will probably take a couple of weeks,” a Virgin spokeswoman told ABTN. ”Our claim is more complex because our passengers travelled on buses and various routes.
”We”re waiting for invoices to come in still ” from taxis, buses, whatever was used at that time. We”ll definitely be able to refund passengers though.”
” National Express is adding an extra Friday evening service on its East Coast main line, starting 18 January. Leaving London King”s Cross at 19:27, it calls at York at 21:12, and arrives in Newcastle at 22:30 (it will not go on to Edinburgh).
”This will help to create more space on the preceding 19:00 northbound train from London,” said National Express East Coast managing director, David Franks.
The service provides free WiFi internet access in Standard as well as First Class.