Advance ticket becomes impossible on the same day

[whole diary]

[The Grecian]

Slightly out of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area... but I do start and end in Bristol.

I'm travelling from Bristol TM^‡(resolve) to Accrington and back on Saturday 14th April. My return journey was booked for the following trains:

Accy-Preston 1723 on Northern
Preston-Manchester Picc via Bolton 1805 on Northern
Manchester Picc - Birmingham NS 1927 on XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))
Birmingham NS - Bristol TM 2112 on XC

This got me into Bristol on the last XC service of the night. However, since I bought these, Preston-Manchester via Bolton has been shut down by NR^» (Network Rail - home page) for engineering works on Saturday, meaning I cannot get back to Bristol that night via this route, as the replacement bus service takes too long. I couldn't get any further than Birmingham.

I don't actually need to go to Manchester, I just booked it that way. There are 3 potential other routes - Preston - Birmingham NS direct on Virgin West Coast, Preston - Manchester via Wigan on Trans Pennine Express, and Accrington - Manchester via Todmorden on Northern.

Am I required to accept the fact I'd now need an overnight stay to use these tickets, or am I entitled to have the route changed to one which is feasible? The ticket is from Accrington to Bristol direct - there's no splits.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[rogerw]

The journey planner on the National Rail site gives a routeing via Preston in any case.
If you choose that option it suggests changing at Wolverhampton and Birmingham as this increases the connection time at Birmingham - the Preston - Birmingham train stands at Wolverhampton for some time and is overtaken by two other trains.

[Phantom]

Hope you enjoy the Wham Stadium and get the 3 points and make the journey all the more worthwhile

Not sure if you have seen this ?

http://www.footballgroundguide.com/leagues/england/league-two/crown-ground-accrington-stanley.html

[The Grecian]

Thanks. I have been there before - stood on an open terrace in pouring rain in December. Exeter won though which made it bearable.

I went to the Temple Meads travel office yesterday to ask what to do. The lady behind the counter agreed it wasn't my fault that the journey had become impossible and gave me alternative reservations on a Virgin West Coast service and a stamped note explaining the reason for the changed journey. Hopefully that'll work as long as the guard isn't a zealously proud Virgin employee, given they presumably don't get any of the original ticket money as the journey was with Northern and Crosscountry.

(Cue 'It was simpler in BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days.')